Through His Eyes
by ddp456
Summary: Wendy plays around with Dipper's journal and turns herself back into a twelve-year-old. Afraid of betraying his trust, she disguises herself as a new kid in town and befriends Dipper in order to retrieve the book and return herself to normal. However, she soon remembers why life wasn't so easy at this age. Thanks to XBRandom for the cover. Thanks for looking/reviewing/faving!
1. Chapter 1

*YAWN*

I turn around to see that the cuckoo clock affixed to the wall has seemingly stopped in place. I squint my eyes to make sure that the big hand hasn't actually moved _backwards_. The oddity makes me think of one of the mantras often repeated by my employer, Stan Pines; of how _time is money_. And if I know the old coot as well as I think I do, I wouldn't put it pass him to try _anything_ to get free labor.

*CLICK*

After waiting for what seems like an eternity, the arm moves a single digit. I dejectedly sigh to myself and return to the task at hand. Equipped with my trusty pricing gun, I bend down to the end rack of souvenirs and pick up each item one by one. I gently squeeze the trigger of my adjuster and stick a new tag over the older ones, instantly adding another two dollars to the retail price.

I shake my head as I overlook the costly knick-knacks, asking how tourists are clueless enough to overpay on such shoddy merchandise. Sometimes, I wonder if the demands for constant price changes are due to Stan's overwhelming greed, or a mere case of senility kicking in. Perhaps I should bite my tongue; after all, this is how he's able to pay me…

That is, when he decides to pay me in _real money_ instead of trying to stick me with his "Stan Bucks…"

With the job done, I head back to my post behind the counter of the gift shop. Sure, there's tons of other stuff that needs to be done around this run down place, but at the same time, Stan only asked me to "fix" the pricing. The way I see it, I did everything I was asked to, so there's nothing left to do but run down the clock until I get to leave for the day.

I lean back on my stool and rest my feet up on the countertop. I close my eyes and listen to the soothing sounds of the Oregon wilderness. However, I try my best not to accidentally slip into slumber. The last thing I need is for Stan to catch me in the middle of a summertime nap…_again_…

A loud resonance shatters the peace; it's not noisy, though. I can hear the sound of contagious laughter nearby. I open an eyelid and peer out the front window to see a brown blur rolling across the grass. When it finally stops, a smile slowly forms across my face. My little co-workers, Mabel and Dipper Pines are wrestling around on the front lawn. I silently watch as they take turns tackling and flipping each other onto the soft ground.

A sense of nostalgia washes over me as I watch the Pines twins play. Part of me wishes that I could go out there and join in on the fun (knowing that I could easily cream the both of them with my hands tied behind my back). Unfortunately, leaving the Mystery Shack unattended was one responsibility that I couldn't shirk on, no matter how much I wanted to. The other half tries to remember the last time I had that kind of fun with my brothers. I mean, _after all that stuff with Mom_, I kinda went from big sister to fill-in substitute.

I let out another sigh as I turn to face the cracked ceiling. I guess that when you grow up, these things come with the territory. After all, there are tons of things that I can do as an adult that they can't, like learning to drive, dating, or getting a steady paycheck (even if it may not be well-deserved). While I return my attention to my giggling, rambunctious buddies, I make a sort of a silent prayer for them: I hope that they truly enjoy and cherish moments like this, because one day, they might not get the chance to do so.

As I rock myself back and forth, my boot accidentally nudges something heavy on the counter. I slightly sit up to see a dark, moldy object teetering over the edge of the table. I lower my feet to the floor and rise up to find out exactly what I nearly broke.

My emerald eyes focus on a withered brown journal. The cover is well-worn and torn in several different spots. A golden insignia of a six-fingered hand was emblazed in the center. I swipe my hand over the symbol as I try to remember where exactly had I seen that book before. It is when I hear the adorable laughter of "my boy" outside that recognition strikes me.

"Hey, it's that thing Dipper's always carrying around…"

As I bow down to take a closer look, my eyes quickly shoot around the room to make sure the coast is clear. My curiosity is getting the best of me. I slowly open the front cover as the sour smell of mildew and mold enter my nostrils, making me gag a bit. I speed-read through the sloppily-handwritten text as it warns about the not-so-called dangers that supposedly haunt our sleepy, mountain town.

"Let's see," I read aloud as I list the oddities that I see randomly scrolling through the text. "Goblins, gnomes, dream demons…" I shake my head and laugh at the absurdity of it all. If such things really existed – especially in such a small place where everyone knows each other's business, they would be almost impossible to hide!

I look out of the corner of my eye to see Dipper still frolicking with Mabel in the grass. Almost instantly, my thoughts change to him, or more specifically, the effect that this tome had on his psyche. I think about any time when I'll call to him or even when I do something as simple as place my hand on his shoulder, he immediately jumps in fright. I wonder if it's these fairytales that makes him so edgy.

Then again, I remember our experience at the Dusk2Dawn convenience store. Dipper warned us not to mess with the supernatural and we nearly paid the price for not listening to him. But I figure that was a one-in-a-lifetime thing, right? A cold shiver travels down my spine at the thought of all these paranormal dealies being _real_.

I stop scrolling as a shine draws my eyes to the center of the next page. A piece of jewelry is taped to the worn piece of paper. Very carefully, I peel back the tape; thankfully, the glue has worn away due to old age. I examine the piece in the light. It is a golden ring with a flat green center. In a way, it reminds me of some sort of fancy monocle. The green is really standing out to me since it is the same shade as my eyes.

As I raise the monocle higher to get a better look at the emerald center, sunlight starts flowing from it, quickly illumining me in a gentle green beam. Suddenly, it turns brighter and brighter until I can no longer see. A heavy heat overcomes me, making me cry out loud in distress. My temples start to throb. The room is spinning and I feel dizzy. My legs give out beneath me and the last thing I remember is hitting the floor.

A few moments later, I open my eyes to find myself sprawled out face down on the ground. My strength is slowly building up. The blackness is quickly replaced with natural light calling me to rise. As I get to my feet, I notice something doesn't seem right. It might sound odd, but I feel…_lighter_…

I turn around and make my way back to the counter. Despite having my energy returned, I feel bogged down. My eyes widen as I pass my station, only to notice something incredibly off:

_I am now as tall as the desktop_.

I look down at my arms to see that my plaid flannel shirt is now draped over my arms. I glance at my usually tight-fitting jeans were now comfortably baggy around my waist. My feet keep slipping out of my now-oversized boots and socks. I stumble as I make my way to the mirror. I need to see _what's wrong_ with me. My trusty brown trapper hat drops down and blocks my vision until I finally hold it up with one hand. After a few seconds, I grow irritated and let it fall off my head and onto the floor.

I step in front of the mirror and freeze at the image. Very carefully, I use my hands to explore every aspect of my body to ensure that the sight in the mirror was indeed _me_! I quickly cover my mouth to prevent my shrieks from echoing throughout the Oregon wilderness.

"This can't be happening!" I try to calm myself. "This is just a dream; just a nightmare! Any second, I'm going to wake up, and everything will be back to normal." My voice is shockingly higher pitched! I close my eyes for as long as I can and pray that I'm imagining things. I peek an eye open, only to see that the haunting scene still in the mirror's reflection.

I was standing face to face with a shorten, pre-teen version of myself. My long, messy hair was replaced with thin, straighten strands. My dimples had protracted outwards, giving me more of a baby-like pie-face. My pasty skin was drenched in an uncountable amount of brown freckles. I step closer to the mirror and use my fingers to lift my lips slightly. My teeth remained as they were before I had my braces added; slight crookedness and overbites could be easily found. My new height reminds me of how I was before my growth spurt.

Still startled somewhat, I reach into my pants and pull out my wallet. I yank out the picture I had hidden away from the rest of the world (save for Dipper). I study the depressed and angry redhead in the photo and compare it to the one facing me in the mirror. Despite the different clothes and hairstyles, I recoil in horror as I recognize that they are nearly _one and the same_!

I look back on my overly huge clothes and ask my copy in the mirror, "What…What did I do to…all I did was…"

The golden monocle instantly flashed in my mind. I turn around and see to the familiar shine on the worn out floor. I race back past the counter only to trip over my own boots. Growing annoyed, I kick off my shoes and slide in my socks over to the glow on the ground. I snatch up the artifact and wonder as I hold it in my palm, "Was this it? Is this the reason why…_this_ happened to me?"

With the monocle in my hand, I figure that Dipper's journal might provide an answer or two for it. After all, it is where this thing came from. I try my best to reach upwards, but I can barely see over the countertop now. Even on my tip-toes, the book is just out of range. I take the stool next to me, push it against the ledge, and proceed to scale upwards. It is at this moment that I realize that I'm about the same size as Dipper and Mabel; all of a sudden, their charming little mannerisms going to and fro don't seem as cute anymore…

I lean forward and re-examine the page, making sure to watch my footing as to not tip the stool over. Using my index finger as a guide, I follow along with the passage written just above where I found the monocle:

_"The Epoch Lens:_

_Having come across this treasure some time ago, the Epoch Lens was forged in a golden outer shell and given an unique green-tempered glass center. What makes the core so distinctive is the reaction it gives off when exposed to different forms of light…"_

I scroll down to beneath the indent in the page where the lens originally sat:

_"When sunlight is shone through the hub, the green light restores the user's youth. The longer bathed in the light, the more years that are reduced…"_

"I knew it!"

I exclaim loudly as I nearly fall off of the stool's top. I force myself to calm down. I know there's gotta be a way to do the opposite! I return my attention to the book again:

_"In order to reverse the process, or to purposely age the user, moonlight must be used in the exact same manner as mentioned above…"_

"Moonlight?"

The sun's rays stretch across the room, as if they were purposely mocking my predicament.

"I can't wait for night time! I need to fix this now!"

I flip the page to see if there's maybe an alternative. There _has_ to be something else I can do. I scroll down, only to find a totally different topic.

"NO!" I throw my fists against the journal in anger. This sickening feeling of being trapped makes me start to hyperventilate. I struggle to control my rapid breathing, when I hear something that makes me tremble.

"C'mon, Dipper! I'm getting tired! Let's go inside already!"

In a panic, I take the monocle, throw it into a random page in the book, and slam it shut! I leap from the stool and land hard on my socked feet. I play through the pain as I struggle to come up with a plan. I can't let the twins find me like this! Dipper'll never trust me ever again if he found out I was snooping through his book! Worse of all, I wouldn't be able to survive the utter embarrassment if anyone found out I did this to myself!

Thinking on my feet, I take off my flannel shirt and let it fall to the ground. I notice that my skin-tight white undershirt is now a loose fitted kid's tee. I untuck it and let it lapse over my loose jeans. In an odd way, my new-found style kinda matches now. I grab a spare rubber band from beneath the counter and tie my hair back into a ponytail. Remembering my lack of shoes, I notice a pair of sandals that Mabel had left by the gift shop's exit. I tear off my socks and hustle to the door, hoping that I don't get a sliver in the bottoms of my feet. I quickly step into the flip-flops. Luckily for me, they're a perfect fit!

I run back to the mirror to see exactly how bad I look. While this outfit is something that I would never wear in normal life, I still have the lurking feeling that I don't look different enough yet. I can't risk being even the slightest bit recognizable. I look to my right to see racks upon racks of Mystery Shack caps. They're the exact same type that Dipper normally wears. I grab a pink hued version and slide my ponytail through it. As a final touch, I go to the next display and pick up a pair of Stan's cheesy X-Ray glasses. I strip the swirling stickers off of the lens and place them on my face. This has to do the trick; after all, every superhero seems to get away with this, so why can't I?

I go to the mirror a third time to study my reflection. While I no longer match my twelve-year old self illustrated in my picture, I look like the complete opposite of the "Wendy" that the twins know. My reflection and I both sigh in despair. Hopefully, I'll be able to pull this off…

My hands swiftly gather my shirt, hat, socks, and boots with a ninja's velocity. I open my secret cubby-hole beneath the counter and tuck my belongings away. With my little secret hidden, I stand up and wipe the sweat away from my brow. Unexpectedly, I feel something grab my shoulder from behind. With my nerves already shot to heck, I yelp in alarm:

"AAH!"

I spin around to see a recoiling Dipper letting out a shriek of his own. Mabel is at his side, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Um…sorry," he apologizes, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't mean to startle you…"

I offer a small wave and force a fake smile, "That's okay…"

Dipper continues to stare at me, making me wonder if the cat's already out of the bag. Mabel, on the other hand, seems a bit straightforward about her suspicion:

"Not trying to sound rude, but who are you, and why are you in our house?"

"Oh…" I say the first thing that comes to mind, "Well, my name is Wen-"

The twins' eyes widen as I force a cough. I start to coach myself, _"Think, Wendy-girl, think! You need to come up with something – fast!"_ As if I'm struck by lightning, a name comes to mind; however the mere mention makes me cringe. It is a name so vile, that my mother was the only one I'd let say it without facing the repercussions. After making a slight change, I take a deep gulp and try to present my new identity to the world.

*COUGH* *COUGH*

"Sorry about that. Like I was saying, my name is Gwen." My imagination takes over as I whip up a backstory on the spot, "My dad came to Gravity Falls on business, and I got dragged along for the ride." I feel bad for lying to my buds, but at the same time, I chalk it up to telling half-truths instead. My teeth grind as I struggle to keep a straight face, "I asked in town where the best place for some excitement was and I was told you guys give pretty decent tours around these parts." I rub my foot against the ground and glance down as I maintain my innocent composure, "I didn't know that people _actually_ lived here…"

Mabel stands down, letting me know that the plan is working, "Oh, that's ok…" she swipes away any unease, "Sorry to bark at you like that. It's just that we get a lot of weirdos around here." She rolled her eyes as she continued on, "I kinda forgot that there really aren't any other kids here in town." Mabel turned back to acknowledge her brother, "Dipper and I had to learn that the hard way, didn't we?"

"Huh?! Oh! Right, right…" His burning brown eyes are focused solely on me as Dipper tries to remain quiet. "_Oh, man…"_ I think to myself. _"He knows. He knows it's me…"_

"Anyways," Mabel explained further. "You've missed the Mystery Tour for today…"

"Rats!" I try to feign interest once more.

"…and I'd offer to show you around town; you know, have a girl's night out, except I have a sleep over later tonight."

Dipper finally jumps into the conversation, "Hang on! Mabel, you said that you'd go with me to explore around _you-know-who's_ tonight!"

"Dipper," she chastised back. "Can't we go one day without getting into the whole "mystery" thingie?"

"But, Mabel. I know he's a part of this whole thing! I just need some help in getting some proof!"

She lowered her eyes as she listened to Dipper's complaining, "Look, Dipper. Grenda and Candy are waiting for me, and I can't be late! We'll do your crazy thing later, okay?"

"It's not craz –"

Before Dipper could even finish his sentence, Mabel turns and walks out of the room. Dipper lets out an aggravated grunt as he hurls his fist against the side of my counter. Adorably, I hear him whisper to himself, "Oww…"

Dipper turns around with a sheepish expression on his face, almost like he had forgotten I was there.

I ask, "What was that all about?"

"Oh, that…" He turns slightly to avoid looking me in the face, "Mabel knows how crazy and dangerous Gravity Falls can be, and the sooner that we – " He stops, releasing that he almost opened up to an complete stranger. Or does he already know the truth?

*SIGH*

"On second thought, forget I said anything. You probably won't believe me anyway…"

As if by second nature, I reach out to him, "Try me…" Even when stuck like this, I have this somewhat overwhelming feeling to try to help my little guy feel better.

After a moment's hesitance, Dipper gives in. "This may sound stupid, um...Gwen, but there's a lot of strange stuff that happens in this town."

"Really? Like what?"

Dipper counts on his fingers, "Ghosts, monsters; you name it, chances are I've seen it!"

"Wow!"

"I believe that there's a supernatural presence that ties everything together, but I haven't been able to connect it…"

"Until today?"

"Kinda," he goes on. I notice a more-confident tone in his voice. I guess it goes to show that a little encouragement goes a long way. "There's someone that I always seem to notice to be in the background nearly every time something like this happens. I just have this irking feeling that _he_ plays a bigger role in everything, and I'm not going to find evidence just waiting for Mabel to come around…"

An idea starts to form in my head. I may be able to use this to my advantage, "Well, do you feel like having _me_ tag along?"

His mouth literally drops open, "Beg pardon?"

"Think about it: it sounds like you need a new partner–in–crime and I really don't feel like sitting at home on this trip, so whatdya say?"

"Hmm…"

I flash a tooth-filled grin as Dipper ponders on what to do. "_This is perfect_," I think to myself. "_It'll be dark and I'll have a shot at getting my hands on that book and jewel. I couldn't have planned it better_!"

Dipper starts to falter, "I'm not sure that's a good idea…"

My heart stops. I need him to go through with this! Maybe a little force can help in this situation.

"And why's that?!" I raise my voice and place my hands on my hips. "It can't be because I'm a girl, since you were just _begging_ your sister to come with you, so what is it?"

Dipper holds out his hands in defense, "It's nothing like that, Gwen! I swear! It's just that…" He turns away in shame, "It's just that you're new in town and this might be a bit…dangerous…"

I wave away his concern, "PFFT! Danger's my middle name!" I decide to add just a bit more charm to win him over, "Besides, I'd bet that if I'd get in over my head, you'd be able to get me out of any jam, right?" With that, I lean over and give him an encouraging lovetap on the shoulder. Dipper turns a bright shade of red and starts chuckling nervously.

At that moment, I knew _I had him._

"Oh, all right," he relented. "If you're up for it, meet me back here later tonight and we'll set out!"

"Great!" I chirp happily. "I just have to stop home first and let my dad know I'll be hanging out here!" In truth, I was planning to see if I had something a bit more comfortable and fitting than oversized clothes and flip-flops before I went off on whatever adventure Dipper had planned. "Do you have to let anyone know that you're going out?"

For some reason, a somewhat sadden expression overcame Dipper, "Um, not really. My Great-Uncle Stan; we call him "Grunkle Stan," gives tours all day and usually falls asleep in his recliner while watching TV. The handyman, Soos is normally packed up and headed for home by now. The only one who would probably care is Wen –"

Dipper stops in his tracks; he realizes something is amiss. He looks pass me and towards the gift shop counter. After a second, he looks somewhat guilty as he asks me, "Stupid question, but when you came in, did you see a redheaded girl sitting behind the register?" Dipper raises his arm way over his head, "About yay tall, freckles, dimples, wears a green flannel?" I simply shrug my shoulders at him. I have to bite my cheeks to stop myself from blushing; he's worried about _me_. _The real me_, that is.

He places his fist up to his mouth, slightly nibbling it as he thinks about what to do next. He heads towards the swinging door that leads to the Pines' living room. Dipper excuses himself, "I'll be right back. I have to see if _she_ left a message or a note or something…"

As soon as Dipper leaves the room, I instantly leap into action. "Idiot!" I mock myself. How could I have been so stupid? How could I not think that someone wouldn't notice if I just up and disappeared? I hop up on the stool and pull a piece of paper out from the drawer. Still, Dipper is way more than "someone" (at least to me). He deserves a lot better than to be left wondering. I jolt down a quick note that will hopefully ease his concerns. As a final precaution, I erase the security footage for today. The last thing I need is having my colossal blunder preserved for all time on film.

I knock on the front door room and open it slightly, "Dipper, I think I found something!" Moments later, I hear rapid footsteps coming down the stairs. Dipper comes rushing through the door; that distressed look still obviously apparent. I point up at the desk, and he runs past me. He snatches the note from the counter and mumbles to himself as he reads it. I sigh to myself as I see the anxiety in his eyes finally fade away. Trying to stay in character, I innocently ask my friend, "Well, what does it say?"

Dipper clears his throat and re-reads my hastily written letter aloud:

_Dear Dork,_

_My dad is taking the family away for an impromptu camping trip, so I had to check out a bit early. So, call off the search parties, I'm not MIA! Hope you don't mind covering for me. Anyways, Dad says if Stan has a problem with this, he can take it up with him when we get back. Thanks again, Dipper._

_See you in a few days! _

_Love,  
Wendy_

_PS: Try to stay out of trouble! On second thought, get into a little bit, for my sake! Bye!_

I tempt the fates by critiquing by my own note, "Aww! She sounds sweet."

Dipper closes his eyes and lets out a relieved exhale, "Yeah, _she is_…"

It could be my imagination, but I wonder to myself if he was _swooning_ over my letter. I shake my head and dismiss the thought as Dipper carefully folds the note and sticks it into his back project.

"You see?!" I brag to my unsuspecting cohort, "I can definitely help you crack mysteries! Just like that, the '_Case of the Missing Redhead_" was solved in record time!"

The comment makes Dipper chuckle, "Okay, okay! You've proved your point." I return a smile. It always makes me happy when I can get that kid to laugh or grin. When I usually come across Dipper, he seems to be in a grim or super-serious mood. I just think that someone his age shouldn't be like that 24/7, so I do what I can. The only problem is that sometimes, I think I'm the only one that goes out of their way to do so.

The door behind us slams open. Mabel has both arms filled with giant bags. I can see pajamas, books, movies, games, and other sleepover supplies nearly toppling over with each one. She runs right pass us, "Bye, new girl! Bye, Dipper! Don't worry, we'll do your thing later!"

Dipper scoffed at his sister's suggestion, "Oh, I'm still going…"

She stopped in mid-step, "Huh?"

He uses his thumb to point back at me, "Yeah, Gwen and I are going to go check it out later tonight."

A sly smile spreads over her pink, chubby cheeks, "Ohh, that's so cute! You guys are already friends!" Her brown eyes narrow slightly, "But a _lady_ friend, Dipper? What would your _girlfriend_ –"

"MABEL! SHH!"

"– think about you about going on adventures with another girl? Isn't that your guys' thing?"

Dipper jumps past me and towards his blabber-mouthed twin.

"Do you think she'll be jealous?" *HHMPPH*

He clamps his hand over her mouth, "HAHA! You're funny, Mabel! A real riot!" If looks could kill, then the angry stare Dipper gave his sister would instantly put the girl six feet under! He turns back towards me, "Well, Gwen. Mabel and I have to have a quick chat, but how about we meet here at about 9-ish?"

I nod, "Sounds great!" I make my way to the gift shop exit and offer a wave, "I'll see you guys later!"

"Bye"

"MMPH!" A still hand-gagged Mabel returned the wave.

I shut the door, and a millisecond later, I hear Dipper explode:

"WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?! THAT WASN'T COOL, MABEL!"

"Oh, relax, Dipper! Gwen has no idea what we were talking about. Besides, she probably thought we were just being goofballs."

"But what about all that talk about a "girlfriend?"

"And?"

"Come on, Mabel! You said that you weren't going to joke about that anymore!"

With that, I hear their voices disappear into another part of the house. As I head for home, I chuckle to myself, "Hehe, Dipper's got a little girlfriend! And he's embarrassed! That's priceless!"

I look up at the sky to see a bright red-orange sun lowering in the west, meeting the tops of the Gravity Falls Forest.

"Huh. I wonder who the lucky lady is?"


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as I run up the steps, I slam the door behind me and sink down against it.

I exhale in relief. It's good to be home.

When I told the twins earlier that my family was heading out on a camping trip, I wasn't lying. The only problem is that I _wasn't_ exactly invited. I really didn't mind at first. After all, there aren't too many times where I get the house all to myself for a whole weekend. And with everything that has happened today, I'll consider this a hidden blessing in disguise.

I kick off Mabel's "borrowed" sandals and run barefoot up the stairs. Thankfully, I was able to hold up in the cheap, rubber shoes before I started blistering. It takes me a few times, but I'm able to leap up and snag the dangling cord that lowers the ladder leading to the attic.

"It's gotta be here somewhere…"

I stumble around, flailing in the dark until my hand finds the light switch. I can tell that the air conditioner was cranked up all the way before the guys left. The floorboards feel as if they are almost frozen. With each step, I feel chills run from my soles all the way to my spine, making me shiver in reflex. I wave away the cobwebs hanging overhead, praying that the mess didn't end up in my hair.

*CLUNK*

"Owie! Owie! Owie!"

I hop up and down on one foot as I cradle my injured big toe in my hand. A collection of swears are seconds away from escaping from my mouth, so I bite my tongue to keep them inside. Despite the pain, I stop myself from moving. My other foot is slipping and the last thing I need is to fall through the attic floorboard and get caught in the insulation.

However, my stubbed digit lets me know that I found exactly what I was looking for. I drop to my knees and shift my weight against the balls of my feet. I wipe away the dust from my finding and take a second to soak in the reminiscence.

When I was little, my mom bought me this huge keepsake chest to protect my various mementos. Fortunately, I happened to hang on to a few sets of clothes as I've grown through the years. I know it may sound silly, but I've always hoped that if I have a little "Wendy" of my own, I can pass them down to her. I like the idea of my kid becoming the possible start of a retro-comeback!

With a little bit of patience, I am able to find a few articles from when I was a lot younger. "Baby tees, worn out jean shorts, ankle socks; they're all here!" In between putting my discoveries to the side, I make sure to take an occasional sniff. After all, I didn't want to go back to the Mystery Shack smelling like mothballs!

I gather everything in my arms and carefully make my way back down the stairs. I blindly turn into my room, using a free foot to open the door. I hurl my old clothes on the bed and stand in front of my mirror, going through each article to find a few matching pairs.

When everything is said and done, I decide on a lime-green cut off, long blue jean shorts (since my dad forbade me from owning Daisy Duke styled-ones), and shin-length bright white socks. I reach behind my bedroom door and sort through a selection of coats and sweaters. I choose a dark green hoodie. This way, I don't have to wear this tacky pink hat anymore to help in concealing my identity.

I tear through the bottom of my closet and find a worn out pair of white sneakers. The way I figure it, whatever Dipper has in mind probably will require a speedy getaway. I can picture myself wearing Mabel's flip flops and tripping over my own feet at the worst possible moment. Despite the larger size, I am able to make the gym shoes fit snuggly by using double knots.

Back downstairs, I take the Pink Pine hat and the sandals and throw them into a spare plastic bag I had lying around. When everything is back to normal, I'll sneak everything back into the Shack; the same goes for the glasses on my face.

I lock the door behind me and head out to join Dipper on his quest. Hopefully, by the end of tonight, my adolescent nightmare will be over with!

* * *

After taking a quick shortcut through the woods, I see Dipper waiting for me in front of the family entrance of the Mystery Shack. Feeling a bit mischievous, I decide to play a little prank on my little guy. I sneak around the house and tip-toe right behind him. Dipper looks down at his watch and mutters to himself, "She said she'd be here…" He raises his head and stares up at the blue moon hanging in the night sky.

With a burst of energy, I dash and pounce at him, "BOOGEDY!"

I giggle aloud as Dipper literally jumps into the air in total fright. He lands, his body quivering uncontrollably. As I continue to laugh, Dipper turns around with a hint of rage in his dark, brown eyes. He takes a step forward and literally screams in my face, "DON'T! DO! THAT!"

The chuckles instantly dry up. I'm caught totally off guard. I know I probably deserved it for scaring him. I normally would care less about a blaring twelve-year-old. Tonight, something is different. I'm not sure if it's because I'm younger. Or maybe it's that I'd never expect Dipper to lash out at me like that. I try my best to fight it, but after a few seconds, my eyes become wet with moisture. Tears run down my cheeks almost simultaneously.

Dipper sees this and freezes up. He holds his hands up to his mouth as I hear him groan, "Oh, man! Oh, man! Oh, man!" He gently takes my hands in his. "I – I'm so sor…I mean, don't c – please don't cry, _please_? I didn't know –" He squeezes tighter as he explains, "I didn't mean to yell at you; I'm just nervous about tonight…"

I look up to see that the fire in his eyes has vanished. A sincere gleam remains in its place.

"I guess *SNIFFLE* I guess you're not the only one who had their pants scared off, huh?"

"Yeah…"

He looks down to see his hands still entwined with mine. He lets go and turns away. I'm not sure if he does this due to guilt or awkwardness.

"Look," Dipper starts again, "I can understand if you want to call the whole thing off. Especially after what just happened…"

The moon shines down on me, reminding me of my true intentions for tonight.

"Are you kidding? You're not getting rid of me that easily!"

A smile replaces Dipper's concerned frown, "I kind of figured as much..."

Part of me cannot wait to get this over with, and yet, the other half is actually curious about Dipper's intent. "So, what's the plan for tonight? Where are we going?"

He signals me to follow him, "We're going to the Gravity Falls Junkyard."

"Yuck! Please don't tell me that you sneak off and play in garbage while everyone's asleep!"

"WHAT?! No! No, I –" Dipper looks at my toothy grin and realizes that he has been had yet again. "Oh…" He laughs in complete discomfort, "You got me, you got me."

_My poor, little dork._

I walk with Dipper side by side until we reach a Mystery Cart park alongside the house. He opens the door for me and motions for me to have a seat. I enter and shut the door as he runs around to the other side. He jumps in and turns the ignition. Without even looking in my direction, he reminds me, "Seatbelt."

"Oh!' As soon as I am buckled in, Dipper speeds towards town.

"Actually, we are looking for someone. Every once in a while, I cross paths with this kooky old guy. My great-uncle says that he's totally insane, but to be honest with you, Gwen, I think he's anything but! I've seen him build giant robots and killer machines. Rumor has it that he's working on some sort of special project for that creep, Lil' Gideon."

I instantly recognize that name. That Gideon kid is considered to be a superstar in Gravity Falls, and yet, I hear nothing but horror stories from the Pines family. He constantly tries to take the Mystery Shack away from Stan. He stalks and follows Mabel around. And every time Dipper bumps into him, he always seems to come back with some sort of injury. However, in order for my plan to work, I have to fake ignorance.

"I think I know who you're talking about, Dipper." I decide to get a rise out of my friend while I have the chance to do so scot-free. "He's that adorably chubby boy that's on all of the billboards, right?" I lean my chin on my arm and gaze up at the stars lighting our path. "I heard some people think he's as good as a performer as your uncle…"

"HA!" Dipper scoffs at my words, his eyes never wandering from the road.

"Let me guess," I comment. "You're going to say that he's secretly some sort of maniacal mastermind whose is secretly bent on taking over the world?"

I turn my head to see Dipper looking straight at me. It felt like his stare was burning through my head.

"Alright then; let's change the subject…" I roll my eyes as I attempt to think of a new topic. "So, tell me. What was that earlier about a girlfriend?"

Dipper immediately swerves, making me hang on to the cart for dear life. After a second, he regains control. An embarrassed beam quickly forms, "Sorry about that…"

"So?" I pry further.

He sighs in defeat, "So, she's not really my girlfriend. Just someone…someone who'd I like to call that one day…"

"What's she like?"

It could have been the moon light playing tricks on me, but I could have sworn that his eyes shone like tiny stars.

"She's the greatest…" Dipper boasts. For the first time tonight, his over-serious expression had vanished. "She's smart, funny, gorgeous…" He peeks at me while driving, "She's probably one of the only people in this town who doesn't treat me like a total freak!"

"Well, you guys hang out, right?"

"Oh, totally!" he prided. "It may not be every day, but when we do, we have a total blast!"

"Sounds awesome!" Despite my current situation, I found my spirits lifted seeing my buddy like this. In fact, I couldn't remember the last time I've seen him so positive. I had to dig deeper.

"Does she feel the same way?"

Dipper's face turns rose-colored. He lets out a nervous titter.

Without him saying a word, I can already tell the answer, "That's precious! It's a secret love!" Dipper returns his sight to the road.

"Are you afraid of what she'll say if you tell her the truth?"

I can tell I touched a nerve as he stammers a reply, "I-I-It's a bit more complicated than that…"

This makes me wonder even more. I figured that Dipper was just being too shy for his own good, and needed a good push in the right direction. I cross my arms and continue to quiz, "So there are factors. Big deal! I mean, it's not like she has a boyfriend already, or that you'll never seen each other again after summer is over…"

I look over to see Dipper, still deathly quiet, yet a sense of melancholy had spread over him. I realize that maybe, I have crossed a line.

"Ouch. I'm sorry, Dipper. I didn't mean to –"

He waves it away, "I know. There's no way you could've known. It's just - well, yeah, I would want more. I would do _anything_ to be closer to her, but at the same time, what we have now, isn't too bad either."

I am taken aback by his response. You really don't hear too many twelve year olds give a mature and complex answer like that. Then again, it's things like that that makes Dipper stands out from everyone else, even if I'm the only one who notices.

Shifting gears, I try to remember if I had seen Dipper hanging out with any girls while at the Shack. The only two that comes to mind are Mabel's friends. Maybe Dipper has a crush on the tiny Asian girl. I can totally picture those two being cute dorks together. For some reason, I really can't see Dipper hanging out with the one with a deep voice. He just seems too _delicate_ for someone like that. Then again, I can be wrong; maybe Dipper's into _older girls who are twice his size. _Suddenly, my thoughts are interrupted as Dipper slams on the brakes.

"We're here…"

I pull myself out of the Mystery Cart and take in my new surrounds. A giant, rusted chain linked fence circles the entire area. Jagged, razor edged barbed wire adorned the top. I walk around to the entrance to find it sealed shut. A heavy duty padlock on the other side on the gate glows in the moonlight. I spin around on my heels, only to bump into Dipper.

"How are we going to get in now?" I ask, kicking a patch of dirt in frustration. "If that lock was on this side, I could try to pick it…"

The bad news doesn't seem to affect him in the slightest. Wearing a smirk, Dipper takes me by the hand and escorts me to the rightmost side of the fence. He drops to his knees and begins to dig in the dirt. Dipper lets out a slight groan as he peels back a small portion of the links.

"Whoa!" I exclaim in wonder. "How did you know…?"

"Reconnaissance work…" he prides. "Do you think that I would walk into something like this without being prepared; especially when I've got company with me?" With that, he stands back up on his feet and holds the fence up, signaling me to go ahead. "Ladies first."

I blush a bit. I don't think I've ever had a guy hold open a door for me, yet alone a chain-linked fence. I quickly slide underneath and hold the passage open so that Dipper can follow. I turn around and it suddenly hits me.

"Pyew!" I cover my nose and mouth as I fight nausea. "It really stinks in here!"

After securing our passage with a metal pipe, Dipper walks to my side and laughs, "Well, yeah, Gwen. What did you expect? We're in a dump, after all."

As I struggle to maintain myself, I look around to see that the inside of the junkyard had a maze-like structure to it. Towers of broken-down cars complimented the numerous piles of trash. Thin foot trails were forged among the garbage-ridded ground.

Dipper taps my shoulder. I face him as he reaches into his blue vest and pulls up something brown. My eyes shoot open as I realize it's the journal! He turns a few pages and turns the book around for me to see. A crudely drawn map was scribbled on the yellowed page.

"So, this is the plan," Dipper elaborates, "From this moment, we have to be extra quiet and aware of our surroundings. He's built the layout like this so that everything important is hidden away from the heaps of waste." He points to a red circle at the top of the page, "This is where I think his laboratory is at. If we are careful, we can get the drop on him and find out what exactly Old Man McGucket is up to!"

The mention of the name makes me freeze up. The image of the harmless hobo is focused on my mind. I remember all of the warnings that my dad used to give me about the old timer, of how I should make sure to stay away from the "freak" at all costs. I thought it was him trying to be overprotective, but after everything Dipper had told me, I'm not sure anymore.

"Gwen? Gwen?"

I blink my eyes to see Dipper waving his hand in front of my face. "Are you alright? If you want, it's not too late to back out…"

I shake my head to regain full clarity, "I'm fine, Dipper. It's just that the name sounded familiar…" My eyes focus on the rugged book in my friend's arms. I have to get it away from him, just long enough to find that lens again.

"Say, what's that?"

"Huh?"

"The book." I point at the journal. "What's that all about? Do you keep your video game passwords in there or something?"

"This?" Dipper holds up the old relic. "Actually, it's an archive of all the crazy stuff that I find in this town."

"Neat! Can I take a peek?"

I can instantly see the hesitation in his face, "Umm…maybe this isn't the right time…" However, he seems to notice my disappointment. "Tell you what: let's get through this, and I promise, I'll let you have a quick look."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Besides, you can't get into too much trouble if I'm right there besides you…"

I let out a relieved sigh. I should have figured that he wouldn't just toss the book into my arms. After all, he doesn't let anyone mess with that thing. Then again, it must mean that I'm making some headway as my alter-ego trust-wise.

Dipper tucks the tome away, "Let's get going." I follow at a safe distance as I hear the clutter crunch beneath our sneakers. We travel between the various roads, using the masses of debris as camouflage. I watch with admiration as Dipper cautiously makes his way bit by bit through the labyrinth. With each step, he turns around and motions for me to follow. I'll have to remember this natural talent of his the next time I go sneaking around; it'll definitely come in handy.

After a few minutes, we arrive at a run-down shed. It looks in even worse condition than the Mystery Shack!

"Is that it?" I ask my overly-serious companion.

"Yep…" Once more, he grasps my hand as he tip-toes towards the entrance. As we are seconds away from our goal, Dipper twists around and whispers, "Okay, Gwen. We have to keep an eye out for booby-traps. Remember, he's crazy, but crafty. Look for anything that seems suspicious."

"Like what?"

Suddenly, Dipper trips over something, dragging me down with him. We are blinded by bright lights. I cover my eyes to see that a series of industrial bulbs hang overhead. Section by section, more lights appear, quickly illuminating the entire junkyard. A series of alarms activate, blaring to an almost deafening tone.

I help Dipper up to see that he had accidentally set off a sort of wire trap. He looks up with humiliation, "Like that…"

In between the ringing of the alarms, we can make out a terrifying sound. I can hear barking and howling coming closer and closer.

Dipper and I look at each other and scream: "DOGS!"

I start to worry, "We have to get –"

Before I can finish, Dipper takes my hand and rushes us back towards the entrance. As odd as it sounds, it feels weird. Usually, I have to play ring-leader when it comes to my circle of friends, meaning that I'm the one who helps them get out of trouble. Yet, before I can even finish my sentence, Dipper already has an escape plan ready, including me in tow! Then again, I guess that Dipper always has to watch out for Mabel whenever they get into trouble together. Still, the role change feels off to me.

Dipper pulls me towards a right path, only to stop in his tracks. The barking grows louder.

"This way!" he shouts as we hurry back towards the left. A series of growls make us change direction yet again. "We're surrounded!"

I look ahead to see a mountain of garbage right in front of us. "CLIMB!"

Dipper and I launch onto the heap and claw our way to the top. The way I figure, there's no way those mutts could reach us up here. I was proud of my idea, until Dipper brought up a valid point.

"How do we get down?"

I bend down to see over the horizon. I try to plot our next course of action, "Well, we can probably slide down…"

Dipper shoots over my shoulder and points downwards, "There!"

I see a soiled mattress with holes spread all about. He continues to shout in my ear, "We can safely jump down and make a break towards the exit!" Dipper holds my hand firmly and nods at me. I smile back with confidence and tighten my grip.

"On three; 1…2...3!"

Embracing each other, we leap from the hill and downwards into the mattress. I'm not sure if it's due to its age or our combined weight, but we break through the top. My legs are tingling from the landing. I can see Dipper huffing and puffing from the adrenaline rush.

"Are you all right?"

He shakes his head up and down as he coughs up an answer, "N-N-Never better!" His eyes turn away from me and towards our goal. "Look! We're almost home free!"

I go to run towards the exit, but something is holding me back. I lift my right leg, only to have it yanked back down. The same goes for my left. Confused, I look down and gasp at the sight before me.

When I landed on the mattress, my sneakers literally went through the covering, becoming entangled in the vast number of springs hidden beneath. The metal wiring now held my ankles hostage. With every pull, I can feel them scrape painfully against my skin.

"Dipper…" I pump my legs in a futile attempt towards freedom. "My feet…" I cry out as the coils seemingly pinch me harder. "They're stuck! I'm trapped!"

I glance to my left to see that Dipper was in the exact same peril as I was. I watch as he tries with all of his might to jump out of the metallic danger, grunting with each attempt. After a minute or so, Dipper relented, panting in exhaustion.

"Same…*WHEEZE* Same here…"

The alarms stop and the air is filled with a static-y sound. I look up to see some sort of radio transmitter attached to the lights shining down on us. Was it some sort of intercom? The night atmosphere is replaced with a wicked cackle:

"Hehe! It sounds like someone sprung my spring trap! Don't ya worry now. I'll be down there in a sec to greet you myself. See you soon!"

Dipper and I share a worried expression. We get back to work trying to pull our feet from the mattress that held us captive. No matter what, I find myself in the exact same position as before.

"Dipper, what are we going to do?! He's going to be here any minute!"

I'm not sure what made me feel more vulnerable: that I was caught like this or the fact that I was a little kid again. I mean, if I was still big, I know I could go toe-to-toe with almost anyone, regardless if I couldn't move my feet or not. After all, I'm a big sister with three little brothers; I _have_ been in worse situations than this. But, in reality, I'm now Dipper's size, meaning that I lose my advantage. My imagination starts to run away with me, thanks to Dipper's haunting warnings. I can picture myself being strapped hand and foot to an examination table as McGucket prepares to use me as a form of guinea pig in some twisted experiment.

Dipper calls out to me, "I have an idea, but we have to work together. Can you reach me from here?"

"I think so. Why?"

He lifts a sneaker slightly to demonstrate, "If you can push the springs down as I raise my foot up, I'm sure I can wiggle out. Once I'm free, I'll help you get out…"

There is a slight pause. I know I should say "Yes!" instantly; it's just I'm not used to this response. When things go sour with my friends, it becomes a case of every man (or woman in my case) for themselves, and whoever's the slowest getting away is usually the one that ends up paying the price.

I take a gulp and prepare myself. I remember that luckily, Dipper is nothing like my other friends.

I stretch out and lean as far as my springy restraints allow me to. After a few tries, I am able to reach the set of springs that wrapped themselves around his left ankle. Using both hands, I push down on the spirals, making Dipper winch in pain.

"Sorry! I didn't mean –"

"Don't worry about me!" Dipper instructed. "Keep going!"

I press down further as Dipper pulls up on his leg. A second later, I hear a springing *POP* sound. His foot is now free! Instead of being excited, he retains his serious overtone, "Okay, now the other one!"

I lean to the other side and aid in helping Dipper free his other foot. Moments later, I could hear a second *POP* sound. Now freed, I watch as Dipper hops off the trap and begins to run off.

"Wait a sec! You said – DON'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS! PLEASE!"

A sense of fluttered shame overtakes me as I realize that the little dork was simply running around to the other side of the mattress. Again, I have to chalk my actions up to old habit dying hard. I find myself unable to look the noble boy in the eyes.

"I –"

Dipper offers a sweet, patient smile and places his hand on my shoulder, "I know. You're just scared. It's okay, Gwen. Like I said before, I'm not leaving without you, okay?" I watch as he takes a knee and shoves his hands into the mattress. All of a sudden, I feel a lot of pressure being removed from my left ankle.

"Pull, Gwen! PULL!"

I lift my foot as high as I can. With every stretch, I can feel myself being able to move more freely.

*POP*

I place my freed leg off the mattress, making sure I don't accidentally become ensnared again.

"And now the other…"

I feel Dipper's tiny hands caress against my ankle skin as he tries to break me loose. The remaining coils scratch in a final attempt to keep me still. I use my other foot to gain a better balance.

*POP*

I leap from the mattress and turn to face Dipper, "WE DID IT! I CAN'T BELIEVE –"His face is frozen in fear, his mouth shaped in an "O."

"What? What is it?"

Suddenly, my vision is obstructed. A giant net has been thrown over my head. It reaches all the way down to my waist. I turn slightly to find myself face-to-face with Old Man McGucket. His wily eyes are focused solely on me.

"Well, hello there!" he greets me in a creepy tone. "Why, I think you'll do _just nicely_!"

"DIPPER!"

With my limited vision, I see Dipper pull a worn tire from the garbage pile next to him. He jumps up and throws it over McGucket's head. With his arms pined, he drops the wooden stick that holds the net that binds me. Dipper pushes the elder down, and we watch as he rolls around the ground.

"C'mon, Gwen!" Dipper yells as he removes the net. "We have to get outta here! NOW!"

With that, he seizes my hand and races back to the opening in the fence.

"You go first! Hurry!"

I drop down and crawl through the gap. I turn around to see Dipper reaching for the pipe in order to reseal our exit. Unfortunately, he doesn't see McGucket racing towards him with open arms.

"Now I've gotcha!"

I scream aloud again, "DIPPER!" Without thinking, I spin around and snag Dipper by the back of his blue vest. With one, strong thrust, I pull backwards and we both go flying, landing a twisted pile of each other. As I moan in dizziness, I watch as the foolish senior runs straight into the closed passage. He gets back up and screeches at both of us:

"You can run, _but I'll find you in your nightmares_!"

For some reason, Dipper's sights are dead-locked on the muttering old fool. I stand up and try to pull him away from the scene, "Dipper, let's go home. Okay?" He takes one last look, and then walks with me back to the Mystery Cart.

Completely exhausted, we sit down inside, and lean back against the cushioned seats. My shallow breathing goes in rhythm with his. After a moment of rest, Dipper breaks the silence:

"Are you alright, Gwen?"

Still breathless, I glance at him and nod in response. He looks straight ahead. I can tell that something heavy weighs on his mind.

"I'm sorry…"

Finally able to talk, I answer, "What do you have to be sorry for?"

His brow lowers as he starts the cart, "Are you serious? I almost got you kidnapped and possibly killed by a deranged old man!"

I shrug my shoulders, "And?"

Dipper laughs to himself and shakes his head in disbelief. There is a brief quiet between us. I watch as he takes a hand from the wheel and reach into his pocket. I nearly jump as a heavy object is tossed on my jeaned lap. My eyes struggle to adjust until the image becomes clear. I have to hide my glee as I recognize _it_.

_Dipper has given me his journal_! I turn towards him, my eyes were like saucers. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees my reaction, "Hey, I promised, remember?"

Like an overexcited child on Christmas morning, I seize the tome and start flipping through the pages in desperation of finding my monocle-shaped bookmark.

"Just be careful, Gwen…" Dipper warns. "Try not to get us turned into werewolves or anything like that, okay?"

I offer an encouraging giggle as I continue to explore the book. At long last, I turn the page and I can see the gold and green glow flashing back at me. I quickly cup the lens in the palm of my hand. The sight of Dipper vigilantly navigating a safe passage home makes me somewhat hesitant. How am I going to explain when "Gwen" disappears and plain ol' Wendy pops up in her place? Even worse, will he look at me in a whole, new light? Will Dipper think that I betrayed his trust because I was too embarrassed to tell him what really happened to me?

I stare back and forth between the monocle and my little buddy. I take a deep breath and make my decision. I hold the lens up to the sky and close my eyes.

"_Please forgive me, Dipper…"_

My eyes open. I look down at myself, expecting to see that everything is back to normal. I have to stop myself from screaming aloud. I am _still_ trapped in the body of a twelve year old. A small whimper escapes from my lips.

Dipper notices my outcry, "What?! What is it?! Did something happen?!"

"No…_nothing happened at all_…" If only he knew. I ask myself, "What happened? Why didn't it work?" I raise my head to the night sky, only to see that it has mysteriously vanished. Only complete and utter darkness remains.

"Hey," I ask Dipper in an innocent tone, "What happened to the moon and all of the stars?"

He takes a quick gaze up to the sky and returns his eyes to the path before us, "Oh, that. It's just overcast…"

"But, when we were in the junkyard, I could see them…"

"Yeah, but that was earlier. Sometimes, these things can last all night."

_"Great!"_ I utter to myself. The monocle is carefully dropped back into the book as I close it back up. It's too risky for me to try to pocket the ornament; Dipper is too close by not to notice. I place it besides me on the cushion. "I'll have to check it out later. I can't see a thing with it being so dark out."

Without looking, Dipper collects the journal and shoves it back into his vest, "Consider it done…"

Defeated, I can do nothing else but relax and enjoy the ride home. I can't tell what has exhausted me more: escaping from McGucket's trap with Dipper, or being denied a cure yet again. That's when it hits me. Within seconds, I come up with another idea that will give me another chance at the book; something definitely less dangerous that what I experienced with him tonight.

"Listen, I know this might sound cheesy, but I really liked hanging out with you tonight."

"Really?" I can hear the sincerity in Dipper's voice. "You didn't think it was too weird or anything like that?"

"Not really. In fact, I was going to ask if you wanted to hang out again tomorrow afternoon. That is, under one condition…"

"And what's that, Gwen?"

"Can we do something that has like, _zero chance_ of us being in some sort of danger?"

For some reason, it takes Dipper a second or two to comprehend my request, "Huh? Oh! Oh, okay, then! Sounds great!"

As he pulls up to the Mystery Shack, I find myself feeling odd. When I originally offered to go with Dipper on this trip, part of me felt extremely guilty for telling fib after fib in order to get closer to that darned book. Somehow, it's different now; I'm not weighed down by my words. I think I actually meant _everything_ I said to Dipper. The excitement of sneaking around and the thrill of the chase linger in the back of my mind. A burning sensation is lodged in my gut as I thought about how Dipper risked everything to rescue me time and time again; it reminds me of how he stood up to the ghosts when we were trapped at the Dusk2Dawn.

Dipper comes over and opens my door for me. Seeing my spaced-out expression, he calls out to me, "Gwen, are you sure you're going to be alright?"

"What?" My attention rises to the boy standing before me, "Oh, sorry about that, Dipper. I'm just…thinking a few things over…" I hop to my feet and we walk together to the entrance of the Shack.

"Well," Dipper said, rocking back and forth on his heels, "This is my stop…"

"Yep…" Why am I all flustered talking to Dipper right now? I talk to the kid all the time, but this is the first instance where I feel like…_this_.

"Are you sure you didn't want me to drop you off at home?" Dipper asks with an uneasy pitch in his voice, "It's not a big deal."

I try to reassure my worried friend, "I'm okay. To be honest, I need the walk to burn off all this excess energy. I'm still all riled up from before. Besides, I'm sure that my dad'll freak out if I get dropped off by a golf cart in the middle of the night."

"Hmm…" he places his hand against his chin. "Good point…"

"Well, until tomorrow?"

Dipper holds out his hand to me, "Until then…"

I go to shake his hand, but something comes over me; something that I can't exactly explain. I grip Dipper's hand, but I yank him forward and firmly embrace him. I whisper gently in his ear, "Thanks for everything tonight…"

The hug is released and I pull back, revealed a tomato-red colored Dipper. He doesn't know how to react to my goodbye.

"Umm…well…wow, uh, yeah….thanks for…_that_. I'll see you! Bye!"

The door is closed; I can hear Dipper applying the numerous locks from behind. I race off into the distance towards my house. I reflect on the last few minutes as I run faster and faster. More specifically, I find myself unable to figure out why I got all close and personal with Dipper a few moments ago. I look at the black-covered sky, as I ask myself, "What was _that_ all about?"


	3. Chapter 3

I enter my completely darken house in the center of the woods. My fingers fumble around as I search for the lamp switch. While my eyes adjust to the brightness, I slip off my sneakers. After all of the running Dipper and I did this evening, my feet definitely need a break. Plus, the last thing I need to track remnants of that filthy dump all over the floor; chances are that I would the one that would have to clean the mess.

The couch lets out a creaking sound as I plop onto it. I have to adjust myself to become comfy; after all, this ordeal shorten me by at least a good foot and a half. I fling a rest pillow under my neck and raise my stocking feet up on the armrest. My tension is finally relieving. I remove the prop eyeglasses and set them on the table besides me. I close my eyes and finally, my breathing returns to normal.

In my self-imposed darkness, all is silent, except for a constant, somewhat annoying sound:

*CLICK, CLICK, CLICK…*

My eyes open to see that it is simply the clock affixed to the wall. It reminds me of the one Stan has back at the Mystery Shack. _Ours_ is just in way better condition.

The clicking offers another meaning to me: that tick after tick, my time was running out. After tonight, I only had _one_ more night before Dad and the boys come back home. I couldn't keep Dipper and everyone else in the dark much longer. Plus, I think about what just happened in front of the Shack. Was I reverting back to a boy-crazy twelve-year-old on the inside as well? Or was it something else?

I have to shut my eyes again; everything's making me dizzy. It feels like I have to juggle a hundred balls at once, and I just can't keep up!

Exhausted, I reach towards the top of the couch and throw the comforter around myself. Giggles escape from my lungs as look downwards. Normally, I'm way too tall for the red-flannel blanket; it usually leaves my feet exposed. Instead, I can wrap my new, smaller self inside at least three whole times. I reach over to turn off the light and snuggle up like a tiny, redheaded burrito.

Hopefully, everything will come together by tomorrow.

_It has to…_

* * *

A beam of sunlight eases across the room and caresses my freckled face. After a few minutes of fighting it, I have no choice but to give in. I sit up and stretch my arms out, letting out a loud, drawn-out *YAWN!*

I lower my legs to the ground, when suddenly, a revolting aroma invades my nose. I jump up and look around for the source. I hope that the boys didn't let leave a stash of old food hidden somewhere in the front room. A horrifying thought enters my mind. I lift an underarm and take a long sniff.

I realize there and then, it was probably not the best idea to go playing in garbage with Dipper and go straight to bed without cleaning myself off.

Dipper will be expecting me soon. I look at the clock to see that it just turned noon. I have to hurry!

I rush into the bathroom, lock the door, and remove my soiled clothes. I hop into the bathbub and take a lightning-quick shower. Wrapping a towel around myself, I hurry to up to my room and quickly select another matching outfit from the clothes I brought down from the attic yesterday. I pick out a black tanktop, camouflaged cargo shorts, and dark ankle socks.

To make sure nothing goes wrong tonight, I snatch my cell phone from my dresser drawer. Usually, I carry it around with me, but then again, I don't want people asking why "Gwen" has "Wendy's" phone. I look up what the weather has in store for me today:

_"Sunny day and afternoon. Chance of showers in later afternoon, but starry skies later in the evening…"_

"Perfect!" I think to myself as I close my flip-phone. The last thing I need is any more surprises.

I hurry down the stairs and pick up my blanket from the floor. I take that and my trash-covered clothes from the bathroom, and quickly shove them into the washer to be cleaned. The way I see it, the less evidence showing what I did to myself, the better. I jump into my sneakers, put on my fake glasses, lock the front door, and make my way back to the Mystery Shack.

* * *

After taking a series of shortcuts, I arrive at the Pines' in record time. If only I was that ambitious about coming to work this fast! I knock on the door, only to have Mabel open it.

"Hi, Gwen!"

"Hey there, um…Mabel, right?"

"Yep!" She steps aside and welcomes me inside, "Dipper will be down in a second. He's getting ready from your guys' date!"

"Date, eh?" Her words catch me off-guard. "Was this how he said it?"

"Nope! I'm just calling it as I see it!" I follow her inside of the Gift Shop. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Stan standing at the register with a big frown splattered around his face. I place my hand over my face in an effort to conceal my identity. After all, he is the only one in the family who actually knows what a twelve-year-old Wendy Corduroy looks like.

"Hey, Grunkle Stan! This is Dipper's friend, Gwen! Say hi, Gwen! Say hi to my Grunkle Stan!"

Caught in the act, I turn around sheepishly and offer a small wave, "Meet to meet you, sir…"

The old man's narrow eyes lock solely on me. He rubs his fingers against the stubble on his chin, "Hmm…" Stan stands up straight, "You look…_familiar_ to me. Have we met?"

I shake my head repeatedly, "No, sir. My father's here in Gravity Falls on business for only a few days. I was hitting up all the tourist attractions, and that's when I met the twins…" I hold my breath as I pray that he accepts my alibi.

Mabel adds a little bit more detail, "Yeah, she's been hanging around with Dipper!"

Stan's eyes widen, "YOU'VE been out and about with DIPPER?!" The old fogey comes out from behind the register and drops to his knees right in front of me. I nearly hop backwards as he puts a hand on each of my shoulders, "You poor, sweet kid! You must have the patience of a saint!"

"Grunkle Stan!"

"Hush, Mabel!" He turns back toward me, "It's a miracle that the girl isn't blabbing about ghouls and ghosts like he does. That's why the only person who's crazy enough to spend any time with the boy is Wen –"

Mabel swiftly elbows her great-uncle, preventing him from finishing his sentence. After seeing one of her nasty looks, Stan chuckles and changes his tune.

"Oh, I mean, bless your heart for keeping the boy company…"

My eyes shift direction as the living room door swings open. Dipper comes out carrying a giant knapsack. I figure it's filled to the brim with all types of exploring gear. "Oh, Gwen! I didn't know you were already here…"

"No worries! I just got here; Mabel and your great-uncle have been keeping me comp –"

Before I can finish, he walks up to me and gives me a sweet, yet incredibly awkward hug. After a few seconds, he lets me go, leaving us both apple-cheeked.

"Aww!" Mabel admires from a distance. Stan crosses his arms and rolls his eyes at the sight.

"Well…" I stumble in trying to find the right words. It didn't feel weird, or even wrong; it's just I wasn't expecting it. Is this how I made him feel last night? "…I'm ready whenever you are…"

Dipper extends his arms outwards, as if to lead the way, "After you…"

We walk side by side towards the exit, "Bye," I wave to everyone, "Nice meeting you all!"

I close the door and follow Dipper to the path leading in the Gravity Falls Woods, "They seem nice…"

Dipper's answer surprises me, "They can when they wanna be…" He looks me straight in my emerald eyes, "They didn't say anything weird to you, did they?"

Stan's words seem to stick with me: _"…the only person who's crazy enough to spend any time with the boy is Wendy…_" Was he right? I know my buddy does go off on his own a lot. Heck, I always used to wonder what Dipper did out there (at least, _until last night_). I remember the night of the dance at the Mystery Shack. I had shown Dipper that super-humiliating picture of me, and how after a bit of egging on, he revealed what was possibly his greatest secret: his Big Dipper-shaped birthmark. And at that moment, as we shared a half-full cup of Diet Pitt Cola, we came to a conclusion about one another; that _together, we were both freaks_…

I look up to see Dipper's shining brown eyes waiting for my reply. I decide to spare his feelings. "Not really. They were as "weird" as any other family would be…"

"Huh…I know it sounds funny, but sometimes, they poke fun at me for all of the stuff I do with the supernatural…"

"Like what happened last night?"

"Yeah! Perfect example right there! It just seems like what I say gets tossed aside just because I'm a kid…" He looks across to me, "On second thought, forget I mentioned it…"

Although I'm a few years older than Dipper, he reminds me that the world usually ignores the word of a twelve year old, even if they're the most serious and down-to-earth person they'd ever met. Besides, if this was going to be his last day with "Gwen," then I was going to make the most of it. "So, Dipper, what crazy adventure do you have planned for us today?"

"Well, you're going to have to wait and see, aren't you?"

"Oh, neat! A surprise!"

"You got it! Just one question though…"

"Shoot."

"Are you any good at climbing trees?"

A sly smile spreads across my dimpled face, "You could say that…"

* * *

A few minutes later, Dipper leads me through the forest to the biggest redwood I've ever seen. He points skywards toward the top.

"Up there?" I ask. "The big surprise is all the way up there?"

Dipper crossed his arms and prided, "At the very top…"

He turns away from me and silently laughs, "I know it seems pretty tough, but if you want, I can help you up –" Dipper spins around to find that I have vanished from sight.

"Gwen?! Where'd you go?!"

I call to him, "Hey, up here!"

He looks up instantly. A startled look forms on his face when he discovers that I am already _halfway up the tree_, "Hurry up, slowpoke! You're not supposed to keep a lady waiting!"

Dipper scoffs at me, "There's a lady up there?! Where?!"

"You little…" I reach out and snag a pinecone from a branch. I hurl it playfully at my friend on the ground. Dipper leaps back at the last second. "PFFT!" I stick out my tongue to further tease him.

Dipper dashes towards the tree trunk and starts ascending up the branches. As I continue upwards, I occasionally check on his progress to make sure he can keep up. After a few minutes, I finally reach the top of the tree. I lift myself upward on to a series of nearby branches. Surprising enough, I find out that they are more than sturdy enough to support Dipper and me. I lift my legs up and rest them on the nearest branch. I peek over to see Dipper's progress,

"Where are you at now, slugger?" He is slowly proceeding towards me. His face is beet-red. Huge amounts of sweat are beading down his brow.

"I'm almost…" he puffs. "…almost there!" I see the rucksack on his backside and figure that it was probably weighing him down. As soon as he gets within my reach, I lean down and grab Dipper with both hands, pulling him to the top beside me.

"*COUGH COUGH* T-T-Thanks…"

"Don't mention it." I give Dipper a minute or two to gather his bearings. As soon as he catches his breath, I quiz him once more, "So, where's this surprise? Gimme! Gimme!"

He sat up and used both arms to highlight the horizon, _"This is the surprise!"_ He sets his knapsack to his side and opens the zipper. He pulls out sandwiches, several bags of potato chips, and a six pack of Pitt Cola.

I stare at him in shock as he explains himself, "You said that you wanted to do something today that didn't involve any sort of danger, so I thought we could have a nice, simple picnic. This way, we can sit here and enjoy nature as it surrounds us…or something like that…"

I force myself to turn away. My eyes are tearing up. Who'da thunk it that my little guy had a tender, romantic side to him? Or more so, that he'd decide to share it with _me_? Except that _it's not really me with him; it's "Gwen…" _I bite my lip in an effort to get my emotions under control.

Unfortunately, Dipper seems to notice something's up. He lowers his head and asks in a straight-forward matter, "This was a stupid plan, wasn't it?"

My hand immediately reaches for his, "Absolutely not! It's just that I…I wasn't totally expecting something like _this_!

His face lights up, "Really?"

"Yeah, man! I totally thought we were going monster hunting or something like that!"

Dipper lifts the open backpack and extends it out to me, "I aim to please…"

I swoop a sandwich, bag of chips, and an (amazingly) ice-cold soda. Dipper and I eat silently as we enjoy the wonders of nature. A gentle, warm breeze caresses our faces. Birds fly in and out of the neighboring trees as they chirp happily amongst themselves. The strong smell of foliage surrounds us completely.

With a mouth full of food, I tenderly rib my pal, "So, is this where you usually take your _secret girlfriend_, or I am the first to see this?"

Dipper chokes on his sandwich. After clearing his throat, he responds, "Actually, you are the only girl I've ever brought up here." He looks downward, "To be honest, I have thought about bringing _her_, but she already has her own secret hideout, so I figured this can be _ours_.

I beam at the idea of Dipper and me sharing two hideaways together. Too bad he doesn't realize it…

After we finish eating, Dipper asks me, "So, was there anything else that you wanted to do today?" I shrug my shoulders and lean back slightly. I spot something interesting out of the corner of my eye. I can spot the reflection of the sun shining off a crystal-clear pond just below us.

"Say, Dipper…"

"Hm?"

"Do you see that pond beneath us?"

He peers over just enough to see, "Yep…"

"How deep do you suppose it is?"

His eyes narrow as he tries to give an estimate, "If I was to guess…I'd say about twelve to fourteen feet deep. Why do you ask?" By the time he looks back at me, I have already removed my shoes and socks. Dipper laughs at the sight of me barefooted, "Why did you –"He stops as he guesses my intentions, "Wait a second, Gwen. You're not thinking about…"

After I set my glasses down, I stand up and balance myself towards the edge, "And if I am?"

Dipper tries to get up, but stops midway. Maybe he was worried that he'd make me lose my balance, "But, we're up too high! Besides, we just ate! Aren't we supposed to wait 45 minutes before we can swim?"

I adjust my footing as I teeter on the branch, "I'm still going, Dipper."

"What do you expect me to do then?"

I turn around and grin, "I _expect_ to see you at the bottom with me!" With that, I pinch my nose and jump off the tree. As I speed towards the water, my adrenaline races. I lose my breath. I hit the pool feet first with a loud *SMACK* It stings for a split second. Beneath the deep, I kick upwards and take a huge gulp of oxygen after breaking through the surface.

"Come on down, Dipper!" I egg on my nerve-wrecked friend. "The water's great!" The only reply I receive is absolute silence. Guilt is slowly creeping through my form. "Dipper?"

Abruptly, I hear a screeching sound coming from above me. I raise my head to see nothing. The noise is making its way behind me. It shortly becomes more apparent:

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

I turn around to experience the aftermath of the biggest cannonball that I've seen. A giant wave splashes me right in the face. Dipper makes his way to the top, sans his cap, vest, and footwear, coughing and struggling for air. After he regains his composure, I shoot him a nasty look for totally drenching me.

"What?"

I answer by returning a swift splash right at him. He coughs again, only to motion a wave back at me. Within seconds, a splashing war erupts between us. The huge display of flying water separates us. A few moments later, my arms tire out. I look around to see that Dipper has vanished.

"Huh? Where'd he go now?"

From under the water, I feel something wrap around my ankles. A sense of panic starts to rise within me. I look down, and still, I'm unable to find out what has me in its grip. Am I being attacked by some sort of underwater snake? Or did I get entangled in seaweed?

My body shifts as something rises to the surface. Dipper has his arm clutched around my shins. A playful look creeps over his face. With his free hand, he scraps his tiny fingers against the soles of my feet. I heave back in ticklish agony and bite my lip in hopes of stifling my laughter.

My feeble resistance only encourages Dipper further, "It's not so funny anymore, is it?"

With a burst of energy, I kick free and lunge towards my tormentor. I raise my hand and push down on Dipper's head, sending him straight towards the bottom of the pond. He swims back up, and shoots a spray of water through his teeth at me. I dodge out of the way in the nick of time, "Missed me!"

Our laughter surrounds the calm wilderness as we play and wrestle with one another for what seems like hours. When we start to get prune-y, Dipper and I climb out and rest for a few minutes on the bank. We lie in tandem as we catch our breath.

Dipper turns on his side to face me, "_That_ – That was incredible!"

"I know, right?!"

Dipper's eyes shift to the sky; more specifically, to the tree where we had our picnic. "Y'know, we left our stuff up there…"

I already know what he's going to say. I put my index finger on my nose and he returns his attention to me, "Someone should climb up there and…" He looks at me surprised.

"Not it!"

Defeated, Dipper lets out a groan and mumbles to himself as he makes his way back up the tree to get our belongings.

* * *

A few minutes later, Dipper comes back down with our supplies. I throw on my glasses and footwear as Dipper does the same. Once finished, we find ourselves lost in each other's eyes, making us blush uncontrollably.

"Thank you for everything, Dipper…" I break the silence. "I had a lot of fun today…"

He turns another shade of red, "I'm glad to hear that..."

All of a sudden, a drop of water hits me between the eyes. I wipe it away, dismissing it a leftover from my swim. Then, I feel another. And another. Dipper and I look to the sky to see a downpour of rain stemming down upon us. I remember the weather report from earlier; this must be the chance shower it warned around.

"Well," Dipper bemoaned. "I guess the rest of the day is rained out, huh? Do you want to hang out at the Shack?"

A wild, new ambition comes over me, "Who says we have to do that?"

Dipper raises an eyebrow, "What?"

"Come on, man! Don't let a little rain stop ya!" With that, I give Dipper a spontaneous push, "C'mon, Dipper! Catch me if you can!" With that, I dart into the woods, leaving my stunned friend wondering about my actions.

"Gwen! Wait!"

As I ran between the trees, I come to a realization: I hadn't thought of the book or my "condition" while I was with Dipper this whole time. I peer over my shoulder to see Dipper struggling to keep up with me. Despite being out of breath, he displays a huge toothy grin as he laughs while continuing the chase. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun. That's when it hit me: it _isn't_ just about cheering Dipper up; _I like_ the way this feels, too!

I recall my own experiences when I was twelve, and compare it to that of Dipper's, only to find that they were eerily too similar: the loneliness, the social awkwardness, the feeling of being ignored by the rest of the world. As the rain blankets me, I start to doubt this whole occurrence. Maybe this was _meant_ to happen; perhaps by giving Dipper the attention he needs, I am getting a sort of second chance myself. I would probably never say it aloud (after all, I don't want to jinx myself), but part of me _didn't_ want to go back to normal; part of me wanted to stay like this with Dipper as long as I could.

I purposely sprint forward, leaving Dipper in the dust. As soon as he's out of sight, I decide to take a shortcut through the clearing in the center of the woods. The sight yards ahead make me grind to a halt. Thanks to the rain, the clearing is now completely flooded, turning it into a giant puddle. Still feeling mischievous, I run right into it. I can feel the mud starting to bog me down as I make my way through.

The rain seems to fall faster and harder as I slosh towards the center of the field. I can no longer hear anything else besides the ricocheting of the raindrops. I rotate in place as I scan the area for any sign of Dipper. I have no intention of having him end our game of tag this early.

*PLOP*

I go to turn, only to discover I am fastened to the spot. Something has my left foot. I try to use my other leg to pry myself free from whatever is holding me down. After a few attempts, I hear a sound that makes my heart stop.

*PLOP*

There is a sucking feeling at my right foot. Before I can react, it is already too late. It becomes trapped as well. I wiggle around, trying to kick my sneakers loose, but they are held fast. As I try to figure out what just happened, I can feel the rainfall increase significantly. As the water splashes on the dirt that encases me, I slap myself in the forehead, seeing that I did this to myself.

_Inadvertently_, I had gotten both feet stuck in the mud.

I reach down through the muck and try to dig my ankles out. The constant rain only increases the pressure of the muck. It feels like I'm wearing heavy weights on my legs. I attempt to hop my way out, only to find that the forces of nature refuse to release me from its grip so easily.

The more I struggle in vain, the more my heart races. The same feeling of claustrophobia I had while in McGucket's trap is returning. I raise my head to the sky. The once-refreshing feeling the rain provided during the summer day is now a bitter frost. I wrap my arms around myself as I begin to shiver.

I want to call out to Dipper, but I doubt he'd hear me over the sound of the showers. With my luck, he's probably on the other side of the woods looking for me. I close my eyes and rub my shoulders for warmth as I attempt to come up with another form of escape.

"Need a hand?"

I open my eyes to see Dipper standing at the entrance of the clearing with a smug look and crossed arms. A sense of relief overcomes me, and yet, I find myself amazed. It was like he could read my thoughts. How else could he have known that I needed his help? I lower my head and sheepishly nod at his offer.

Dipper tip-toes into the slime holding me prisoner and reaches out in my direction, "Give me your hands! I'll pull you outta there!"

I stretch out as much as the goop will allow me to. When I come into distance, Dipper grips on to my hands and pulls as hard as he can. I barely move a single inch. An intense pressure pinches my shins, making me cry out in anguish. This surprises Dipper, who instantly lets me go, and falls down on his backside.

"I-I'm so sorry!" he springs up. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" I reassure him. I pull on my trapped feet to demonstrate. "I just think that this stuff really doesn't wanna let me go…"

"Well, who would?"

I smile at Dipper's wisecrack, despite having my body quiver from the cold. Not to be defeated (or let me down, or maybe both), he gets up and walks around the giant puddle. Dipper examines my situation from every angle. After a few moments of deliberation, he simply shrugs his shoulders, "I guess I'll have to get you out the hard way…"

"The hard way?"

After a second of hesitation, Dipper starts wading through the mud towards me.

"No, Dipper! Don't!" I throw out my hand. "You'll get caught, too!"

Despite my warnings, he moves onward little by little. Dipper stops a few feet from my position. I can hear him mumbling to himself, "…don't want to get too deep…" He bends down and moves his hands through the watery dirt. Dipper looks up to me and winks, "Don't you worry, Gwen. I'll get you free in a jiffy! Just don't move…"

I give him an angry stare.

"Well, okay, move a little bit…"

A few seconds later, I feel Dipper's stubby little fingers around my ankle. He's trying to pull me upwards. I use all my strength in trying to help him. In spite of his efforts, I remain rooted to the earth. Dipper glances back at me.

"So," I ask, "Am I doomed or what?"

Dipper shakes his head, "Not yet." He stares harder at my imprisonment. "Maybe we're going about this the wrong way…" With a quizzed expression, Dipper reaches back in the slime. I can sense him back by my feet, but he's not pulling anymore. He's talking under his breath again, "…stupid…stupid…double knots…"

Suddenly, my left foot is free! Then, my right! Whatever Dipper's doing is working perfectly. A moment later, he lifts a black socked foot out of the mud.

"Careful not to put too much pressure on them," he warns. "Or else, you'll go back under again…"

I can't contain my gratitude. Dipper came through for me yet again. "Dipper, just – just wow! I don't know what to say! How'd you get me out?"

He smiles at all of the praise, "That's the thing, Gwen! You weren't really stuck; only your sneakers were!"

Again, a sense of embarrassment strikes me. Why didn't I think of that? If it wasn't for Dipper, I'd probably be out here all night before I'd think of it! Between this "event" and what happened at the junkyard yesterday, it makes me wonder if all twelve year olds are as accident-prone as I am? I think of the everyday hijinks that the twins usually get themselves into (and moreso, the injuries that follow)

"Not to sound ungrateful for the rescue," I ask as the slush begins to seep into my socks, "but how am I going to get home without my shoes?"

Without a second thought, Dipper turns around and dips himself slightly, "Hop on…"

"You're crazy! There's no way you can –"

"Of course I can!" he argues back. "You're no bigger than Mabel, and if I can lift her…"

I feel guilty. He has already done so much already. Would this be taking advantage of him?

"Come on, Gwen! We're going to catch our deaths out here!"

I'd hate to admit it, but he was right. The same thing would happen if I went home barefoot. So, I take a deep breath and hop on Dipper's back.

"OOF!"

"Oh, gosh! Dipper, are you alright?"

"Never better…" he strains out. My arms wrap around his neck securely. I can feel his hands against the back of my knees.

"Are you ready?"

I squeeze my little hero harder, "As ready as I'm going to be…"

With that, Dipper picks me up and we make our way towards the main trail.

"Wait! What about your stuff?"

"Forget about it! I'll come back later!"

I lower my head against Dipper's shoulder. I'm not sure if it's the cold getting to me, or if I just find the sound of his heartbeat almost-_hypnotic_, but I find myself becoming sleepy. My eyelids grow heavy. As my world grows darker, the last thing I remember hearing is Dipper's voice:

"Gwen? Gwen?! Is everything all right back there?"

* * *

*AH-CHOO!*

My eyes jolt open. Where am I?

I find myself in a sitting position on an old couch. A thick, yet worn blanket has been tightly wrapped around me. My eyes shoot down to see that my tanktop and camo-colored shorts are nearly dry. My mud-splashed socks are missing. I lower my feet to the floor and look around my strange surroundings.

A sense of panic hits me. Did I sleep the whole day away? I see a clock in the corner of the room. Luckily, I've only been asleep for less than 2 hours. I _still_ have a chance to become normal again.

I am seemingly alone in a darken room. A lit fireplace provides the only source of light. I can spot my glasses on a counter to my right. A small mug is right next to it. I take it and quickly sniff over the top. A delicious aroma enters my nose:

"Hmm…cocoa…"

I take a sip, only to find out that it's lukewarm. As I set the cup down, I notice a small object placed in front of the fire. I stand up and walk toward the bundle, only to have it flinch.

*AH-CHOO!*

The movement nearly makes me jump up in the air in fright. I tip-toe further, only to have my mouth drop at the sights before me:

My now-clean socks are hanging over the fire as they dry. My stained white sneakers are placed at the base. I notice a puddle forming behind them. To the right, Dipper sits in front of the fireplace. Donning a blanket of his own, he shudders with knees raises to his chest. Dipper rests his chin on top, save for the occasional sneeze.

I take a seat next to him; Dipper is totally unaware that I am next to him until I place my hand on his shoulder. He yelps in surprise. His demeanor changes completely when he turns and sees my emerald eyes focused on him.

"Hey, there," he greets me. "How are you feeling?"

"Better…I think…" I lift up Dipper's cover and join him beneath it. I use a finger to tip over one of my shoes. "I can't believe you went back out there for a pair of old sneakers…"

"Actually," Dipper detailed. "By the time I brought you back here to the Shack, it stopped raining. Besides, I promised to get our stuff, didn't I?"

"That you did…" I snuggle up closer to Dipper, giving him rosy cheeks. "Do you even know how _amazing_ you really are?"

"I'm not though…"

I hold his flushed face in my hands, "But _you are_, Dipper. Believe me when I tell you this, dude. There are not a lot of guys out there that would save the _same_ damsel in distress _twice_ in a 24-hour period, and then brave the elements to fetch her shoes; plus, treat her to a surprise picnic in the treetops in between!"

"Yeah…" Dipper rubs his shoulders in nervousness. "I guess that sounds a lot of things…"

"It's _more_ than "a lot of things." To some people, such "things" mean _the whole world_!"

Very gently, I move my hand from his cheek to his forehand. I pull back the wave of messy brown hair that covers his forehead.

"Wait…" he protests. "Don't…"

"Shh…"

And there it is: the bane of poor Dipper's existence. The primary source of his teasing back home. The one thing he wishes that he could change the most about himself, and yet, I wouldn't want him any other way: the Big Dipper birthmark.

I lean over and place a gentle, tender kiss in the very middle of his dreaded blemish. I hope that Dipper's _secret girlfriend_ doesn't mind this. I pull back to see that the simple action has completely stunned Dipper. His only response is a single tear that travels down his cheek.

As if by second nature, we embrace; only this time, there isn't any awkwardness to be found.

I whisper in his ear, "I loved the time we spend together, Dipper…"

He returned the gesture, "I loved spending time with you, too…_Wendy_."

My eyes widen as I nearly throw the kid backwards, "_What did you just say_?" Did he know? Did he _always_ know?

Dipper looks at me somewhat surprised by my reaction, "What? All I said that I loved spending time with yo – "He stops in mid-speech. Dipper's face turns a ghastly shade of putrid white. He jumps to his feet and begins to pace back and forth in a panic. He pulls at his hair as he mutters to himself:

"OHMANOHMANOHMANOHMANOHMANOHMAN!"

"Dipper, take an easy!"

"I am so, so, sorry! You must hate me now, right? There's no way you don't hate me…"

"I don't hate you, Dipper!" I reach out to him. "It's not a big deal. Really!"

He stops to kneel down in front of me, "I may be young and naïve, but I _do_ know that one of the worse things you can do to a girl is call her by another girl's name…" Dipper gives me an ashamed look before breaking eye contact, "…especially when…"

"_Especially when_ what?"

As Dipper stares at the ground, I ask myself, "If he doesn't know it's really me on the inside, then why would he call me by _that name_? The only other explanation is that is that's who he wanted – "

I stop as a literal door opens inside of my head. A lot of things finally start to make sense.

"Hang on," I question. "_I'm_ – I mean, _Wendy_, the "missing" girl from the gift shop; _she's your secret girlfriend?!_"

Dipper gazes at me slightly before returning his sights downwards. He slowly nods.

The breath is immediately knocked out of my lungs. I don't know what to say, or where to go from here. Dipper can tell that the news has affected me severely. He holds my hand securely.

"Besides you, Gwen, Wendy is probably the only other girl that gives me the time of day. It's like I was telling you earlier, she shares her world with me. We go on adventures together. I protect her from the dangers of the supernatural and she watches out for me when it comes to the real world. It may not be perfect, or even exactly how I picture in my mind, but in a way, it's just enough…"

He places his hand under my chin, and turns me toward him, "…but with you, Gwen, it's different, but in a good way. All the things that separate Wendy and me are non-existent when it comes to you. There's no age difference or crazy on-again/off-again ex-boyfriends to worry about. You make me feel like I'm the only guy in the world; like a hero for even the smallest tasks. And that's something that Wendy's _never_ done…"

It takes every fiber in me to stop from saying aloud, _"If you only knew…"_

I'm at a standstill; I don't know if I should feel happy as "Gwen" or sad as "Wendy." However, Dipper does bring up a good point: when I'm back to normal, will I feel the same about the kid pouring his heart out to me as I do now? Will those impulses disappear along with my twelve-year-old alter ego?

"Can I ask you a question, Dipper?"

"Of course…"

"About this "Wendy" girl, will you ever tell her the truth about…you know, _everything_?"

He lets go of my hand, "I'm…I'm not sure. I mean, the odds are against me. She's really doesn't have a reason to say "yes," but probably a billion different ones to say "no."

"Well, maybe you should give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she's unsure of these things, just like you are."

Dipper shakes his head, "Nah, Wendy's always cool-headed. While I run around like a chicken with its head cut off, she's calm and collected when it comes to this stuff. If she felt the same as I did, I'm sure she would have said something…"

I bite my lip so hard that it nearly bleeds. _I want to tell him_. I want to tell him _the truth_, but I also consider Dipper's advice: at this point, maybe the truth would end up making things a lot worse.

"But, Dipper, you'll never know the truth if you're afraid to talk to Wendy about it."

"It's not that _I'm afraid_ that she'll reject me; I'm _afraid_ the truth will ruin everything, and I'll end up losing her completely. Like I said before, I rather have Wendy in my life somewhat rather than not at all!"

After a moment, Dipper starts to laugh silently to himself. I raise an eyebrow to his action, "What's so funny?"

He sighs, "I was thinking about something. I realized that you and Wendy _do_ share something…"

"Really?" I ask, "What, do we look alike or something?"

His eyes shoot open at my slight rib, "Actually, now that you mention it, you can easily pass as her little sister, but that's not what I meant."

"Then what?"

"Before this summer is over, I will end up losing _both you and Wendy_. Chances are I've never see you guys ever again…"

Heartbroken, I reach over and throw my arm around the weary boy, "Dipper, can I offer some advice?"

Dipper gives me a broken smile, "At this point, I welcome any or all advice."

I pull him closer, "Well, Dipper, I already told you my opinion about Wendy, but as far as everything else is considered, I don't think you should get too hung up on labels."

"I'm not following you?"

"Think about today," I demonstrate. "We spent the whole day together and did a ton of awesome things, right?"

"Right…"

"Did it matter if you and I were boyfriend/girlfriend, or when I'm leaving town?"

"No…"

"And you still had fun?"

"Of course, Gwen!"

I slap his back, "That's what I mean! Dipper, _you should care more about experiencing those moments rather than who's in what relationship or how much time is left on the clock. When everything is said and done, those instances are going to be the only things that matter!"_

As soon as I finish my speech, I see the color returning to Dipper's face. It isn't until I feel his arm across my backside, meeting my own, that I _knew_ I had reached him.

"Thanks, Gwen…"

I rest my head on his shoulder, "Hey, what are pseudo-girlfriends for?"

We both laugh as we sit peacefully in each other's arms, waiting for the fire to finish drying us off…

* * *

Dipper and I step outside an hour or so later. As the weather report promised, the cloudy skies have vanished. We can see the sun starting to set in the distance. The ground is still soggy as it splashes beneath our feet. Dipper convinces me to bring along an old Mystery Shack sweatshirt to avoid catching a cold.

"Well…" Dipper laments, squishing his sneaker against the ground, "I guess you'll have to be going soon, huh?"

"Soon, but not yet…" I can see the journal sticking out of the edge of Dipper's vest. After everything's been said and done, I know I'll regret this, but if I don't act now, I will be trapped like this forever!

"Hey, Dipper? Can I ask a _really_ big favor?"

He can sense something's up, "How big of a favor?"

"One that you'll probably say 'no' to." I point towards his chest. "It's actually about the book…"

With a staggered look, Dipper pulls out the tome, "My journal? What about it?"

I have to look away from him. Even though I'm telling white-lies, I still can't shake the remorse for doing so. I start to explain:

"The other night when I was looking through it, I saw something that caught my eye. It was a small green monocle thingy with gold trim. Ever since I noticed it, I literally cannot get it off of my mind…"

Dipper's eyes begin to lighten as I finish my request, "Anyways, I was wondering if perhaps, would you consider letting me keep it? You know, as a memento of you and this place?" I look back towards him, "If you say 'no', I'll totally understand…"

Dipper looks away from me. He opens the book and begins to search page by page until he finds it. The lens slides into his cupped hand. Dipper raises it to the sky to get a better look. At first, I grow extremely tense. The last thing I needed was to have him revert to an infant. Thankfully, the sun's rays no longer radiate through the sky, securing my friend's safety.

He returns to the book as he silently speed-reads the next few passages. I remember that I dropped the lens back towards the front of the journal, far away from the warning I originally ignored. After what seems like an eternity, Dipper looks upwards to me.

"Gwen, I can't thank you enough for the time that we spent together or for the advice you have given me today. Despite only knowing you for a few days, it's something I will carry with me _always_… "

Dipper clutches the monocle in between his fingers and extends his hand out to me, "I can only hope that this small token of my appreciation will do the same for you…"

I can't believe it! My mouth twists to an O-shape. Without him knowing it, Dipper has saved me for a _third_ time! I reach to take it from Dipper when all of a sudden, a giant shadow overcomes us. Before we can react, a black-glove hand swoops down and snatches away my salivation.

"What the – " Dipper turns and gasps at the thief, "YOU?!"

I glance up to see the devilish visage of Robbie V, my ex-boyfriend and possibly Dipper's least favorite person in the world.

"Well, well, well; now what do we have here?"


	4. Chapter 4

I can't believe this! Of all the rotten luck!

For a second there, I thought everything had finally come together. I had spent the entire day having fun and getting into trouble with Dipper. Even when he became depressed, I was able to lift his spirits up (despite being thrown for a loop by learning that _I_ was his secret crush) and gave him an extra boost of self-confidence that he desperately needed.

As we were about to say good-bye, Dipper gave me the gold and green lens from his mysterious journal, the same article that I needed in order to return back to my fifteen-year-old self.

That is, until _he_ came…

My ex-boyfriend, Robbie V, had snuck up from behind and literally snatched my lens out of our hands. Dipper turns around to face him; his surprise quickly becoming anger and outrage. He steps forward and positions himself in front of me, even going as far as to raise his shoulder back as if to shield me.

"Why is Dipper acting so serious?" I wonder. "Robbie may act big and bad, but in reality, he's all talk…"

Isn't he?

"My, isn't this precious…" Robbie examined the monocle between his fingers, "It would be a shame if something _terrible_ was to happen to this…"

"NO!" I accidentally let my anguish get the best of me. Dipper sees my worry and challenges the menacing goth:

"What do you want, Robbie?"

"Oh, I think you know," he hints. "You and I have unfinished business to attend to, but tell you what, you go fetch Wendy for me, and I'll think about letting you have this back! On second thought, I might use this to get back on Wendy's good side! It _does_ match her eyes…"

I couldn't believe my ears! I mean, I knew that Robbie and Dipper used to argue (especially when it came to me) but I didn't know that Robbie could be such a bully! Besides, he should know me a _lot_ better to know I wouldn't be suckered by jewelry.

Dipper pointed straight at him, "First off, Wendy's not here! She's out camping with her family, but even if she was, I wouldn't go "fetch" her for you anyways! Second, that thing doesn't even belong to me…" He uses his thumb to point at me, "…it's Gwen's…"

Not expecting to be put on the spot like that, I nervously offer a tiny wave.

"Gwen?!" Robbie asks. "You mean you're not the other little freak?" He narrows his black beady eyes to get a closer look. He observes the way Dipper is hovering over me, waiting in anticipation of any false movements towards us.

Robbie seemingly puts two and two together. His wicked smile only deepens upon realization. A creepy laugh begins to rise from his small frame, "HAHA! I get it now! Someone's _finally_ got a little girlfriend of his own age!"

I see Dipper's hands curl into fists as Robbie meets him face-to-face, "Well, junior, looks like it's time to give you a taste of your own medicine. Maybe you'll see how it feels when someone messes with _your_ girlfriend! Perhaps then, you'll learn to keep your pink nose out of other people's business!"

Dipper goes to rush towards the mocking teen when I reach out to hold him back, "Dipper! Don't do it!"

He strains in my arms as he growls through grit teeth, "Gwen has nothing to do with me and you, Robbie, and you know it! Give it back to her RIGHT NOW!"

Robbie slightly shifts his head as he mockingly places his hand under his chin, "Hmm…I have a better idea…" He lowers himself to Dipper's level, "So, you want to impress your little lady, huh? How about we finish what we started earlier?"

"What?!"

"You. Me. Circle Park at Sundown. No magic men. No hiding behind Wendy. Just you and me. And who knows? Maybe you'll be able to get her trinket back…"

With that, Robbie slides the lens into his hoodie and starts to walk away. Just before fading back into the woods, he turns around and flashes one last smirk, "See you soon, twerp…if you're man enough…"

As Robbie vanishes into the dusk, I can feel Dipper's breathing growing heavier and heavier. Is this how Robbie treats him anytime I'm not around? The more I think about it, the queasier my stomach becomes.

"I'm sorry…"

Dipper's break from total silence catches me off-guard, "Wait, what?! Why are you sorry?"

He can't look at me. "I let this happen. I let you down. The same way I always seem to let _her_ down." At long last, he finds the strength to look me in the eye, "Do you still think that I'm sort of hero?"

After a moment to think about it, I give Dipper my answer, "Yes."

He asks me in disbelief, "How can you say that, especially after everything that just happened?"

I squeeze my disgruntled buddy tighter and offer an encouraging beam, "Because I asked you not to fight and you didn't. You were big enough not to let that jerk get to you. You chose to be the bigger man…"

"Well," Dipper despairs. "'The bigger man' just lost your good-bye present…"

"So what?" I reassure him. "I'd rather lose 1,000 gifts than to see you get hurt for no reason!"

Dipper gives me a half-smile of appreciation as he releases a heavy sigh. I press forward, "If you want, I can stick around a bit longer…"

His eyes seem to light up at the mention, "That…would be really nice…"

Suddenly, he wiggles free of my grasp, "Don't mean to ruin the moment, but I have to use the restroom. Wait for me on the porch?"

I nod as Dipper hustles into the house. As I see the door shut, I walk up the steps of the Mystery Shack and plop myself down on the worn-out couch Stan stationed outside. As I start to relax, I try to come up with a battle plan of my own. After I say good-bye to Dipper as "Gwen", I'll have to stop over by Robbie's to get him to return the monocle. Unfortunately, that means that I'll have to tell him the _truth_ about my condition. Of course, I have _several ways of persuading Robbie to keep this to himself, _but I figure it's the only way where Dipper will remain unharmed and I can go back to normal.

* * *

The sun disappears behind the forest lining as dusk starts to set in. I look behind me, expecting Dipper to pop back outside any time now. I tap my foot against the wooden structure as I grow impatient. It's been more than a half hour. What could be keeping him?

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Dipper?" I call through the empty house. No response. I remember him telling me that Mabel and the rest of the family were out for the day, so there are no worries from that end. I approach the bathroom door and knock gently?

"Dipper? Are you alright in there? "

There is only complete and utter silence. I can see under the door that the light isn't on. Is he in there? I take a deep breath and turn my head as I open the door.

"Is everything –"

There's no one inside.

I'm starting to get worried. As I head for his upstairs bedroom, something catches my eye. On the table before the staircase, I see a note with my name scribbled at the top; _my alter-ego's name_, actually:

_"Gwen,  
I'm sorry to go and sneak off like this, but today was the last straw. It's one thing for Robbie to mess with me, but when he brings innocent people like you into it, it's a totally different story. Please try not to worry. By the time you read this, everything will be over with. I will get your monocle-thing back in no time!  
Please don't be mad at me over this. It's just something I have to do…  
Be back soon,  
Dipper."_

Without thinking twice, I let the paper fall to the floor as I bolt out the door. It slams loudly behind me. I need to hurry! Despite his deception, I'm not mad at Dipper. If anything_, I'm worried for him_! While I think it's great that he believes that he could take on the world, I just think that this time, he may have bitten more off than he could chew. The very last thing I need on my conscience is my buddy getting creamed for what he thinks is "my sake." Dipper expects that "Gwen" would have no idea where Circle Park is in Gravity Falls. Luckily for him, "Wendy" knows at least 3 different shortcuts through the woods that leads straight there.

As I come out of the forest, I can hear grunts and groans stemming from over the horizon. I peek out from behind a pair of bushes and gasp at the sight before me.

Robbie is towering over Dipper, launching shot after shot at him. "Oh no!" I think to myself. "I'm too late!" As I study the scene closer, I find myself astonished; _Dipper is actually holding his own_! For every swing Robbie takes, Dipper (with dukes up) agilely dodges out of the way, just in the nick of time.

Part of me actually feels bad for doubting Dipper. He always talks about how he single-handedly fights off strange monstrosities out in the woods. I usually chalk it up as the over-imagination of a lonely boy, but after everything I have seen this weekend, I'd probably believe _anything_ that comes out of that kid's mouth.

Suddenly, things take a turn for the worse. My fears become reality. Dipper goes on the offensive and delivers a series of punches to Robbie's midsection, only to have them shrugged off.

"HA!" Robbie mocks him. "That's the best you can do?!" Catching Dipper off-guard, Robbie delivers a cross. Dipper raises his hands in time to block the attack.

"UGH!"

The force of the blow forces Dipper down to one knee.

"_He isn't strong enough to stop Robbie by himself..._" I realize. "I need to do something, _now_!"

I come storming out of my hiding place, "DIPPER!"

Dipper turns in my direction and spots me hurrying towards him. A look of horror overcomes his face, "Oh no…"

Robbie notices that Dipper is distracted. I see him pull his arm as far back as he can.

"DIPPER! LOOK OUT!"

As Dipper turns back, Robbie delivers an incredibility brutal backhand to my pal's face. Dipper is sent flying into the air, rotating no less than three times before crashing into the ground.

"DIPPER!" My scream echoes throughout the empty park. I go to check on my downed friend when suddenly, I feel myself being hoisted into the air.

"And who do we have here?"

I am rotated around to meet Robbie eye-to-eye. "The little twerpette, eh?" His smirk widens. "Did you come to cheer your _boyfriend_ on?" We both look to see Dipper still sprawled on the floor, groaning as he tries to get back up.

Dipper struggles to raise his head upward. His saddened eyes widen upon seeing my predicament. "No…" he groans, reaching outward towards me, "Let her go…" He slumps back down to the earth.

Maybe I can try to talk to sense to my ex, "Listen to me, Robbie. You don't have to do this…"

He laughs in my face, "I know I don't, but _I want to_!" He points down at Dipper, "I know this may seem cruel, but believe you me when I say, he _definitely_ has this coming!"

"Put me down!" I demand as I kick and squirm in an attempt to escape Robbie's grasp. He starts to carry me forward.

"Sorry, but this is between _us_ men…" With that, Robbie lifts me up and snags the back of my hoodie onto a nearby branch. He leaves me dangling from the tree as he steps back to admire his handiwork. "There you go! Now, you have a front-row seat to the festivities!" He heads back towards Dipper.

I try to kick off with my feet to hoist myself off, but the rain has left the wooden surface extremely slippery. I can't get a grip! "Robbie, _please_! Don't –"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…whatever you say, little girl," Robbie cuts me off, as he turns back around to taunt me, "Lollipops and rainbows and unicorns and all of that garbage…"

I shake my head. _He's lost it completely!_ Dread seems to trounce over me as I wonder if he has ever treated Mabel in such a horrid way.

"Man, Robbie! I think this is a new low!"

We turn to see that a shaken Dipper has staggered to his feet.

"Picking on little girls? Man, what's your *WHEEZE* your encore, huh? Stealing candy from a baby? But then again, _after what you did to Wendy_, nothing you do surprises me…"

Before Dipper can react, Robbie dashes towards him and grabs him by the throat. He hoists him into the air and screams in Dipper's face:

"I _didn't_ do anything to Wendy! And _even if I did_, that's none of _your_ concern!"

Dipper remains defiant, "_She is_ my concern!"

Robbie rants on, "This is all your fault, kid! If it wasn't for you, things would be okay between Wendy and me! And where did it get you, huh? Wendy _still_ thinks you're a pathetic loser! And soon…" He glances back towards me, "…_she_ will think that as well!"

Dipper pulls his head back while Robbie is facing the other way, "Don't count on it…"

My mouth gapes open as I watch everything unfurl. Robbie looks back just as Dipper throws his head forward with full force. His forehead slams down hard on Robbie's nose.

His howl can be heard all through the woods.

Robbie instantly drops Dipper as he covers his face with his hands. Dipper lays motionless on the cold park ground. I think he knocked himself out-cold with that headbutt. Robbie removes his hands to see that they are covered in sticky red blood.

"What? How did –" He is a state of disbelief that Dipper could have delivered such a powerful blow. I can see that Dipper's forehead is starting to bruise. Robbie growls to himself as he approaches my unconscious friend, "You…You will pay dearly for that!'

I have to get free! I can't let him hurt Dipper!

A new idea hits me. Instead of launching myself upwards, why not try the other way? I reach over and start to unzip my Mystery Shack hoodie. My arms wiggle out of their sleeves one by one. After a few seconds, I slip down onto the wet grass. I hurry back to the battleground, only this time, I make a few changes: I remove my glasses and slide them into my front pocket. I reach behind me and fumble with my ponytail, returning my hair to its natural state.

I jump in between the two boys and hold out my arms, shielding Dipper from any approaching dangers.

Robbie points down towards me, "Don't think for a second that you're going to save his sorry -"

I reach up and roughly grab Robbie by his chin whiskers, bringing him down to my eye level. At first he resists, "Who do you think you –"

He looks into my eyes; _my angry emerald eyes_, and shortly after, his face turns ghostly white as he gets his answer, "No…"

I nod, "Yes…"

"It can't be…"

"But it is!"

"WENDY!" Robbie shrieks as he falls backwards. "What the – I mean, what happened?" He looks towards Dipper, "Did he do this to you? If he did, I'll – "

"You'll do nothing!" I bark at him. "I did this to myself. Dipper doesn't even know it's me, and that's the way it's going to stay. Understand?"

Robbie starts to backpedal using his hands as things suddenly become clearer to him, "Wendy, all of those things I said to the kid, I didn't mean –"

I approach him slowly, "Is _this_ how you treat people when I'm not around?" I extend my arm back towards Dipper, "Am I suppose to pat you on the back for _this_?"

"Wendy, you don't understand…"

"I've heard enough, Robbie, and frankly, I've seen enough!" I extend an open palm outwards, "I want Dipper's glass thingie, right now!"

Robbie races through his pockets, and after a few moments, pulls back his hand and drop the lens into my hand.

"There! You got his jewel thing back! We're all good, right?"

I secure the monocle in my other free pocket. "Not by a long shot, pal!" I narrow my eyes at him, "That's the only thing that could return me to normal, and I have been going out of my gorge trying to get my hands on it, no thanks to you!"

"Please, Wendy," Robbie begs me. "Isn't there _anything_ I can do to make it up to you?"

"Hmmm…." My thoughts shift to Dipper. "Perhaps there is something you can do…"

"Really?" Robbie hops up to his knees. "Just name it…"

I poke him roughly in the chest, "You are going to make it look like Dipper won this little tiff that you two had…"

Robbie gives me a confused look, "But how are we going to do that –"

I launch forward and deliver a swift, but precise blow to Robbie's breadbasket. He lets out a whiny, "OOF!" only to fall onto his side. He lays silently groaning to himself. I know this seems spiteful on my part, but after everything I just had to sit (or hang) through, he absolutely deserved this.

The glasses and the ponytail go back up as I enter "Gwen" mode yet again. I kneel down towards Dipper and flip him over. Except for the mark on his brow, he seems completely unharmed.

"Dipper…" I call out as I lightly slap his face, "Wake up, Dipper…"

"Huh?!" His eyes open slowly as he starts to make recognition. Upon seeing me, he jumps up from the ground, "Gwen! Are you alright?! Where's Robbie?!"

I point into the distance where Robbie remained stunned. "_You_ did it, Dipper! You stopped him with one blow!"

Dipper seems confused by this, "I…_I did_?" Surprisingly, he doesn't celebrate "his" victory in the slightest. A shameful expression appears across his face, "So, are you mad at me for leaving you behind?"

"Let me put it like this…" I reach over and give Dipper a quick lovetap on his forehead.

"OWWW!"

"You're forgiven…"

He winces and covers his head, "Gee, thanks…"

I reach down and help Dipper up. He takes a few steps and starts to lose his balance. I throw his arm around my shoulder to better support him.

"Thanks…"

I smile at him, "Don't mention it." I reach into my pocket and pull out the lens, lowering it to Dipper's line of sight, "Thanks to you, I was able to get this beauty back…"

Dipper still seems to be down in the dumps. I wonder why…

"Hey, guy. What gives? I said I'm not upset with you or anything…"

"Hmm?" I watch as he stares at Robbie. "Oh, it's not that…"

"Then, what is it?"

Dipper lets out a heave, "Either way, I'm going to be in trouble…"

"How so?"

He turns away from me, "When Wendy hears that I beat up Robbie, she's going to be steamed at me…"

I'm baffled by his answer, "Why do you say that?"

"Because she hates guys who fight..." He hangs his head even lower, "…and I just got her to forgive me for _that other thing_…"

Dipper's words make me remember why exactly I broke up with Robbie in the first place; how on that night, both my boys broke my heart. However, Dipper was the only one that tried his best to make amends, instead of blaming others for his actions.

Then again, _that_ _is a tale for another time_…

I clutch my worried companion even closer, "Something tells me that she'd understand…"

Dipper looks relieved as we walk back towards the Mystery Shack.

* * *

When we arrive back at the Shack, we find an extremely nervous Mabel waiting for us. She had found Dipper's note from earlier and worried about its meaning. Seeing the gigantic bump on his head only made matters worse. As I got an ice pack for Dipper's head, I tell Mabel about our adventures and more importantly, how Dipper "_saved the day_" yet again.

Mabel walks over to her twin sitting at the table and gives him a congratulatory shot to the shoulder, "I always knew you could do it!"

I sit next to him, holding the ice pack against his head. Dipper looks up at me with adoration. My green eyes are locked onto his soft brown ones. We bask in the peaceful setting in hopes that the moment will last forever…

*CUCKOO! CUCKOO! CUCKOO!*

Stan's old clock goes off repeatedly; a haunting sign that my time as "Gwen" was shortly coming to an end. The light in Dipper's eyes seems to shatter as he seems to know what this means. I set his ice bag down on the table.

"I…I have to…"

Dipper stands up beside me, "I know…"

I try to retain a positive attitude, "Hey, we knew this moment was coming, right?"

"Yep…"

I head towards the gift shop exit, "You'll walk me out? Right, Dipper?"

He nods as he follows right behind me. Mabel stays behind. I think she knows that it's probably best to give Dipper and me our last moments alone.

We are by ourselves in the closed Mystery Shack Gift Shop. Soos has gone home for the night and Stan is fast asleep in his bedroom. As we pass "Wendy's" counter, Dipper stops me.

"I know this seems cliché to say, but will I ever see you again?"

I lower my head. I have to be realistic with Dipper, but at the same time, I can't break his heart, "Who's to say, Dipper. Fate has a funny way of intervening in people's lives. But if not, look at it this way: there are those who go their _entire_ lives without having the same kind of fun that you and I had in the last few days!"

The look on Dipper's face tells me all I need to know. I see something that can ease this situation for me.

"Tell you what, Dipper…" I reach over as pull a pen from the basket just under my checkout. "Just in case things with that Wendy girl don't work out, or heck, if you need an open ear to listen…" Taking a blank piece of paper from the countertop, I scribble down my _real_ phone number and email address. I hand it to Dipper, who now displays a gaze of shock.

As he takes the sheet, he pulls me forward for one last hug. As he lowers his head on my shoulder, I whisper in his ear, "_I wish I could stay like this with you_; I really do, but look at it this way…"

I pull back and flash a toothy grin, "…chances are if I stuck around any longer, I'll end up giving you a nervous breakdown or something worse!"

"HA!" Dipper rubs the back of his head anxiously, "Yeah…probably…"

I lean forward, lift the lock of brown hair, and once again, give his birthmarked forehead a quick peck. He blushes as I bid him farewell, "_Have faith in yourself; you'll be alright_…"

I open the door as Dipper quickly wipes his eyes. As the door closes, I blend into the darkness to make it seem like I already left. I peek into the nearly window and watch as I have to break Dipper's heart one last time.

Mabel has snuck up on her dazed brother "A kiss _and_ a girl's phone number? Way to go, Dipper!" she congratulates.

"Yeah…" Dipper turns a brighter red, "I guess it is kinda neat…" He returns his sights to the paper I gave him, "Still, I can't believe…" His voice breaks as a look of complete terror overtakes him.

"What?!" Mabel asks. "What's wrong?"

Dipper spins around to face his sister, "Her…Her note!" He holds it up so that Mabel can see, "It's totally blank!" I can see the distress in his face, making guilt weigh heavy on my mind.

"I don't understand," he grieves, "I watched Gwen write on this same sheet! She reached over and grabbed a pen from beneath the counter –" His mouth drops open as he shortly puts together the truth. Dipper reaches down and grabs the same type of pen I previously used. He reads the label aloud:

_"Real-Deal Invisible Ink Pen! Prank your friends with little to no effort!"_

"But I – I mean, she…BAH!"

He throws the pen downwards in defeat. "Maybe I can still make it out! I can trace the scratches on the table, or I –"

"Dipper," Mabel comforts her twin by placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's gone…"

He sighs to himself, "I know…"

"I guess fate decided that it wasn't meant to be…" She wraps her arm around Dipper and leads him back towards the parlor.

"But when will it be, Mabel? _When will it be_?"

I sink down against the edge of the Mystery Shack. My heart is literally in my throat. But at the same time, I consider the alternative. What other choice did I have? As I rise to my feet and head for home, I think to myself, "Chances are, after the summer ends, Dipper's going to end up with my info anyways…"

"…that is, if he plays his cards right…"

* * *

I sit up on my roof as I am bathed in the moon's blue light. A change of Wendy-sized clothes sits at my side as I prepare myself for the change back to normal. Regardless of what happened during this experience, my mindset is the same: _this has happened for a reason_. I got the chance to be a twelve year old again, only this time, I was spared the constant teasing and ridicule. I also got to see things from Dipper's perspective, or in other words, how his life runs a slight parallel to that of my old one.

My hand slides into my pocket and pulls out the green and gold lens. As I raise it to the sky, I close my eyes and promise not to forget the lessons that I learned over the last few days…

* * *

The next morning, I open the door to the Mystery Shack's Gift Shop to see Mabel and Dipper sweeping and dusting alongside the several aisles of souvenirs. The bell mounted above rings, alerting the Pines twins to my arrival. Their eyes light up as they spot me standing in the doorway.

"WENDY!"

"Hey, guys! Miss me much?"

Mabel runs up to me and hugs my waist, "You bet! It's been so b – or – ing here without you!"

I look up to see a very shy Dipper looking down at his own feet. He tries his best not to make eye contact.

"What's up with you, Dipper?" I flash a sly smile, "Too cool to come and say 'hi' to me?"

Dipper raises his head, "Huh? Who, _me_? _You_ want _me_ to…" He chuckles as he presses his sneaker fretfully against the wooden floor.

Mabel moves aside as I get on one knee and motion towards him with both arms. He hesitates at first, but then steps up and lightly embraces me. I wrap myself around him. A moment later, I can feel him relax. He squeezes me harder.

"See? Was that _so_ bad, Dipper?" I remember "Gwen's" advice towards his "predicament", and while I hope that he takes it one day, it certainly doesn't mean that I can't give _an encouraging push in the right direction _every now and then!

Dipper opens his mouth to answer, only to be cut off by Mabel, "Don't be offended, Wendy…"

He breaks away from me, "Mabel! Don't!"

"It's not anything that you did…"

Dipper rushes to stop his sister, only to arrive a second too late!

"While you were gone, Dipper went and got himself _a girlfriend_!"

He looks back at me, totally speechless and red-cheeked. Dipper pulls on his collar as he chuckles nervously.

I decide to play along. "A girlfriend?" I raise an eyebrow to Mabel's claim. "I can't believe it!"

"Wendy…"

"I leave for one weekend, and some girl tries to muscle in on one of _my_ boys?" I shake my head playfully, "No, sir, I don't like it one bit!"

"Wendy…hehe…it's not like that!"

As I tease my special little guy, I am soon hit with something that I never seen coming; one tiny, yet important detail that I hadn't given any thought to. Perhaps I should have considered it beforehand, but with everything that has happened, it was the very last thing on my mind:

"Well, enough about us, Wendy; tell us all about the trip with your family! We wanna hear _every last detail!_"

_June 3, 2014 – June 27, 2014_


End file.
